The Guardian
by SiriuslyDistracted
Summary: Sirius is brought back by a mysterious woman
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing, nothing, nothing, oh yeah and nothing!!! The lovely and talented JKR owns all that is potter, I merely play.

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A/N okay I obviously messed with the timeline a bit, or a lot. Sorry if that annoys anyone.

Prologue

"She answered!" Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, looked just like a child in a candy shop waving around the owl he'd just received.

Who's answered dear?" The elderly wizard's longtime lover and transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall asked pouring him a cup of tea. After nearly fifty years she was quite accustomed to the excited outbursts and comments that had nothing to do with the matter at hand. She smoothed her tartan dressing gown and sat across from him in their shared chambers.

"It took so long for Fawkes to find her I had begun to wonder if he ever would. Should have known better though." He smiled happily for the first time in a month. It had been a month since the battle at the Ministry when Sirius black had been lost.

"Took so long to find who Albus?" McGonagall asked again, lips pursed.

"Oh you remember I told you about her." He picked up the tea cup before him and sipped. His eyes were a bright, clear blue showing no amount of the dottiness he enjoyed feigning. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes dear, but I have forgotten, who did you write to again?" This was a little game of theirs, if she really wanted to know anything she would merely pretend she couldn't remember what he had said.

"Really Minerva, you must pay more attention." Dumbledore sighed. "Rhiannon, I sent Fawkes to find Rhiannon."

"Whatever for Albus? She's safe being hidden if the Dark Lord were ever to get a hold of her…well I just can't think of what would happen."

"I know, but we need her help she's the only one that can retrieve what was lost at the Ministry." Albus smiled in to Minerva's angry glare. "It's her choice weather or not to come back."

"You know damn well she'll come back when she finds out what happened!" Gods how she hated when he did things like this. There were still Order members in hiding all over the world; calling one back could be as dangerous as taking a full page ad out in the Daily Prophet listing their whereabouts.

"I didn't tell her what I needed only that I had a favor. And I made it perfectly clear that it was up to her. She said yes and will be here tomorrow night, late." He knew Minerva didn't like the idea of anyone putting themselves in danger. Considering what the girl in question was.

"A guardian Albus, you are practically delivering the protector of souls to the Dark Lord." She yelled truly angry at him.

"It is her choice. If she doesn't want to do this, or can't then she doesn't even have to come on grounds. She can turn around and leave."

"And how do you expect her to get your request without coming on grounds?"

"I have my ways." He grinned and patted her hand.


	2. She Arrives

Disclaimer: I still own nothing, not even a desk to put my computer on. JKR owns all!! But I am willing to trade whatever is in my pocket for Sirius, Remus and Snape… ::Digs in pocket:: A pen, a quarter and a meat thermometer from work… maybe I need to find something else...

A/N thanks for the review azorianxxx!!!

Chapter 2

She Arrives

"Who do you think is coming?" Ron asked as he pushed open a small gate in the Hogwarts large entrance.

"Probably some old witch that Dumbledore has known for a century that will drone on and on about the last time Voldemort rose to power. Like it really matters now." Harry grumbled. He hadn't talked much since Sirius had gone through the veil; he'd slipped into a kind of depression that made Ron and Hermione nervous. They knew he was worried about what would happen when he returned to the Dursleys with out the threat of an ex-convict godfather to protect him. The worry was almost too much when heaped on top of the loss of his only true family. Ron and Hermione sighed worry for their friend evident in their saddened eyes. It had been a month since the battle at the ministry a month since they'd watched Bellatrix kill Sirius, a month since Harry had laughed.

"Maybe it's an old hag or something…maybe it's one of Dumbledore's girlfriends. Eww maybe it's both." Ron was trying to make Harry at least crack a smile. They were leaning against the fence as they talked.

"Hey, I resent that you little whelp." At the unrecognized voice all three jumped, wands drawn to defend themselves. Unsure of where exactly the decidedly female voice had come from. The woman who had spoken stayed to the shadows but was still too near for comfort. Her voice was smooth almost calming the trio thought, if she wasn't hiding herself in the shadows.

"Luminous" Hermione raised her wand pushing the shadows back but not completely revealing the woman. They could see her figure, could tell she was short and curvy. But other than that the only feature they could see was her eyes. They flickered, reflecting the wand light as an animals would. "Are you three just going to stand here and gawk or are we going inside?" Her voice was snarky to the point of sounding like Snape. The three students stared and the woman, she certainly was creepy, hiding in the shadows as she was.

"Um, Dumbledore bids you…" Harry grumbled remembering the exact words the elderly professor had used, "What creature is born in death, lives merely to destroy, Lives off of tragedy and is killed only in a happy birth?"

The woman's eyes flickered between the trio before she issued a sound that could be considered a laugh. "A Dementor. But really that was quite simple."

"That's right… um come on." Hermione held her wand a bit higher, it was quickly followed by Ron's and Harry's as they crossed the lawn up to the main doors of the castle. The woman continued to stay in the shadows just out side of the circle of light from their wands making them feel even more uneasy. She didn't speak on the long walk to the front entrance and made no sound as they pushed the giant doors open. The halls were deserted as it was late in the evening. The students had long since gone to their common rooms.

"I wish we were in the common room now." Ron whispered to his friends who nodded in agreement. They didn't immediately notice the absence of their charge.

"Then you probably should have stayed there instead of traipsing about the grounds in the middle of the night." Snape stepped out in front of them, his black robes billowing with his movements.

"We weren't traipsing about…" Hermione tried to defend them to the pale greasy potions professor.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor for lying to a Professor." Snape sneered "And sixty more for being out of your dorm after hours."

The sound of jewels shifting in the giant hourglasses filled the hall making it almost impossible to hear anything else.

"But we're…" Ron spoke up looking positively livid.

"Want to make it more?"

They shook their heads as the jewels stopped shifting and the hall grew silent again.

"Now as for detention…" Snape was drowned out by the sound of jewels dropping back into the Gryffindor hourglass. The greasy dark haired professor glared at the teens before him anger making his black eyes shine. "How did you…"

"Hello Severus." The woman stepped out of the shadows, cutting Snape off. Silence once again filled the hall as everyone stared stunned at the woman. She was of average height maybe five foot four, with milky white skin. Her hair, the color of honey, was smoothed into a French braid before falling over her shoulder, ending at her thigh. Her hourglass figure was clothed in a fitted black silk dress with a mandarin collar. Her heeled black boots made no sound on the stone floor as she moved in front of Snape. Her eyes were hidden now behind a pair of round black sunglasses.

"It's been a long time Severus." She spoke quietly, moving around the potions master who was looking a bit sick at the moment.

"That it has…" Snape swallowed hard "Rhiannon." He was surprised he could say the woman's name even after almost ten years.

"You can bring yourself to speak my name aloud. There is hope for you yet you greasy git." She glanced at the three teenagers staring amazed as the most frightening teacher in Hogwarts practically shook in fear. She knew all to well what Professor Snape was like, she had after all had him as a Professor for her seven years at Hogwarts

"You wouldn't be doing anything as foolish as punishing my own personal guard for following orders would you?" one perfectly shaped honey eyebrow rose, daring him to answer.

"Your guard? What do you need with a guard?" Snape's eyes grew wide at his own idiotic courage. This was A Guardian he was talking to what the hell was he thinking questioning her? She pulled her glasses down enough to look him in the eyes. He could feel her slid into his mind. He had forgotten how good she was at Legilimency.

"Hum your time as a spy has made you bold… or being Crucioed so many times has scrambled your brains. Wonder which." Sarcasm dripped from her words. "Don't worry your greasy little head, Severus, my powers and my allegiances are as strong as ever."

"Allegiances? You were always neutral." Snape's eyes grew wide and for once he closed his mouth before he got himself into serious trouble.

Rhiannon pushed her glasses back up her nose, "And you never new where to stand and when to keep your mouth shut. I can only hope that your future wife will teach you some manners."

"Wife? I will never…"

Her eyebrow rose again making Snape scowl.

"Continue with your rounds Severus." She waved at the darkened halls. Snape nodded and practically flew down the corridor. She waved a hand at the retreating professor's back "Forget." She whispered and turned to the teens. "You three would do best to forget what you heard, especially the wife part." She studied the three before her starting with Ron. "Ronald Weasley, hmm, you look a lot like Charlie when he was younger." Ron looked worried, tugging at his robes as she inspected him. But her voice held none of the derision most people looked on him with and he soon relaxed a bit.

"You must be Hermione Granger." She looked the bush haired teen over and smirked when she tugged at her hair and shifted uncomfortably. "Stop that, don't fidget."

Rhiannon then looked at Harry; he could feel her gaze through the dark glasses. "You look a lot like her."

Harry stared back confused "Every one says I look like my dad, not my mum."

Rhiannon harrumphed "Him too, I suppose."

"You were using Legilimency." Harry accused feeling a shift in his mind as she looked at him.

"And you are bad at Occulmency." She snarked. "There is enough knowledge between the three of you to fill the Hogwarts library for years." She looked again at their robes noticing their frayed edges and mended cuts where hexes had torn them open during the battle in the ministry.

"You look like ragamuffins." She snapped her fingers and their battle worn school robes straightened, the holes were filled in, frays were hemmed, and scorch marks disappeared before the soft cotton turned to even softer silk. "Much better." Rhiannon nodded at her work and turned with a flourish of her own robes. "Come now." She walked quickly towards the stairs that led up to Dumbledore's office. She could hear three sets of foot steps rushing to catch up with her. "You three sound like a pack of kangaroos, how do you get away with anything?" She paused to let them catch up before waving the grinning gargoyle aside. The office was exactly as she remembered it, spindly metal inventions spinning wildly in every coroner, thick carpeting and a large fireplace. Dishes of candy were laid about on every table. The office was well lit leaving no shadows for her to slip into.

"Albus Dumbledore." She smiled at the aging wizard.

"Rhiannon Hades." He regarded her over his half-moon glasses then chuckled as Harry Ron and Hermione slipped in behind her. "I see you have taken on my students. The robes look very distinguished on you three." In the brighter light they could see their new robes better. The biggest difference was a new patch had been added under the Hogwarts emblem.

"A grim." Hermione mumbled quickly recognizing the shaggy black dog.

"Hmm yes" Rhiannon glanced at the trio "As well as the other three that fought at the ministry. Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom I believe are their names."

"Yes you are correct. Order members were involved as well."

"Be that as it may, these six are unbiased. Their views unwarped by time and actions." Rhiannon hadn't moved from next to the door making it easy to shoo the teens out. "You three will meet me before breakfast in the Gryffindor common room. Make sure the other three are with you." She could feel their indecision at being told to leave their headmaster alone with a woman that Snape was so afraid of. She understood; they could sense darkness in her. "Go now you three, Albus and I have much to discuss, little of it for ears so young."

They stared at her a moment then turned to their headmaster who nodded his dismissal. They dragged their feet still unwilling to leave him alone. Rhiannon waved the door closed behind them but remained next to it.

"Am I to assume…" Dumbledore started but paused when she held up her hand. A small flesh colored ear wiggled under the door. Dumbledore peered over his desk at the small appendage then at the woman standing over it. She shook her head and with a smirk dropped into a chair next to his desk. Leaving the listening device alone for the moment.

"They are too curious for their own good." He nodded at the door.

"Their loyalty is commendable. They are a true guard, which is why I named them as such." She smiled sweetly "That and because Severus was accosting them in the hall. Taking points and doling out detentions." She crossed her long shapely legs bouncing her foot.

"Always one to torment Professor Snape." She smirked and threw her blonde braid over her shoulder to swing an inch above the floor, studying the elderly wizard from behind her dark glasses. She was quiet fond of the doddering old fool, even entertained by the act he put on for most people, hiding the fact that he was usually sharper than them. She knew he had his reasons for trusting Snape, even knew the Potions master wasn't really that bad. But none of that lessened the amusement she got from making the arrogant prat squirm.

"There is so little to amuse me in the states. I hate hiding out," She sighed hating that she sounded so whinny. "It's not the easiest thing to do at the best of times."

Dumbledore sighed knowing the woman wanted no sympathy.

"Have you considered my request?"

"Yes, I have." She started drumming her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Creative by the way, sending your true request to meet me at the gates."

"I was hoping, "Dumbledore steeple his fingers and watched the witch before him. She was truly one of the more extraordinary people he knew. A wealth of knowledge was stored behind her hidden eyes, and power untold crackled around her. She was one of the few students he had watched leave and not felt overwhelming fear for. Oh, he'd worried about her as she had been a withdrawn child with precious few friends, but the woman before him was strong and sure. "You'd be swayed once you saw what we needed."

"I gave the request to them." She waved absently at the ceiling. "It's up to Them; I can't just go and undo what happened. If it was that simple you would have done it yourself."

"Most true. Any idea how long it will take Them to decide?"

Rhiannon shook her head making her braid swing again, the Elders, the creators of destiny, tended to ignore requests as long as possible. "No they are being kept as busy by this war as we are." She glanced up at the clock over Dumbledore's desk then got up and walked to the ear. "Go to bed now you three, you have heard enough." She waited until the ear was pulled under the door and the hall beyond grew quiet before turning back to her chair.

"Where have you been hiding lately?" Dumbledore waved his wand and two glasses appeared on the desk along with a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Out of Malfoy's reach." She mumbled. "That's why it took so long to summon me."

"He's still bothering you?"

She shrugged "No more than usual likes to keep me on my toes. Summons me every once in a while just to prove he still can. But since Voldemort returned I've been able to move far enough out of his grasp that I can ignore him." She was a guardian, a keeper of souls for the wizarding world. When someone died she would appear to take them to their next destination. Although with wizards the deaths she saw were typically rather gruesome, Lucious Malfoy had a tendency to be the cause of such deaths.

"Oh well, there's nothing we can do until Voldemort is truly defeated. Let us discus happier things, if there are any." She filled their glasses again, sitting back to talk.


	3. The Guardian's Guard

Disclaimer. Yeah I still own nothing. Everything Potter still belongs to JKR, all though I can hope!!!

Chapter 3

The Guardian's Guard

Rhiannon wrapped her long fingers around a large cup of coffee and breathed in the scent, Irish cream her one true weakness, among many. She smirked; Albus had had much to say, most of it concerning his favorite students then his favorite teacher. She enjoyed the time she spent with the wizard. Had laughed when he had sounded like a love sick puppy while talking about McGonagall. She liked that he treated her no different than anyone else. That was something she wasn't used to, only two other people in her life had treated her as a normal witch, most found out who she was and ran the other way.

She sat alone in the Gryffindor common room, noticing very little if anything had changed. The room was still cozy and strewn with forgotten books and parchments, games and clothing all the things that accumulated during a school year. She liked this room, liked the happy excitement that filled it. Hundreds of years of teenagers and their emotions had left the room a buzz of forgotten emotion. She could feel it all if she wanted, the worry, excitement the lust and buried deep love. Love of friends, love of family, true everlasting love. All the good emotions a human could feel everything that made life worth living. They were soothing emotions to one such as her one so used to the darker more painful things in life and death. She shook her head ignoring the since of foreboding she had, something was going to happen. Something big and bad.

Students were rousing above but she was comfortable in the darkened corner fairly sure no one would notice her lurking in the shadows. She straightened her robes and adjusted her glasses as the first bleary eyed students made their way from the dorms out the portrait.

"Hermione, how am I supposed to explain these robes to mum? You know what she's going to think." Rhiannon watched the redheaded teen comedown the stairs with Hermione.

"I see you got your new robes."

"Who are you?" Ginny Weasley asked looking between her friend and the strange woman sitting in the shadowed corner.

"I'd rather only explain it once, where are the boys?" Rhiannon tapped her fingers on her now empty coffee mug and walked to the portrait hole. Luna Lovegood dropped the hand that had been about to knock and gazed dreamily at her.

"It's you." She smiled

"Ahh Miss Lovegood, we meet again." She rather liked this girl, a bit on the strange side but who wasn't? She waved the teen in.

"You've met her?" Hermione looked at Luna a bit surprised.

"Oh yes, when my mum died. You're still very pretty." The girl smiled at her.

"Yes well, I am what you make me." Rhiannon pulled a dead leaf from the girls pale blonde hair with a smirk, "Just as you are."

"Oi, sorry we're late; Ron here didn't want to get up." Harry shoved his friend down the last few steps. His now regular scowl in place.

"Hey we were up late; you know I don't like to miss out on sleep."

"It's alright. Come now, line up I want to get a good look at you." Rhiannon waited while they lined themselves up. Harry and Ron putting Hermione between them, Ginny pushed against Harry's other side. That left Neville and Luna looking strangely at each other then quickly away. She looked the three other teens over as she'd done Harry, Ron and Hermione the night before. The legilimancy was part of her being a guardian, couldn't exactly take a soul to the proper place if the dieing person could lie to you. Luna smiled as if she knew what had been done.

"Are you going to tell us who you are?" Ginny spoke up; she liked the girl's brashness.

"I would think that has already been figured out." She looked pointedly at the trio.

Hermione stepped forward a bit, the unofficial speaker of the group.

"You're Rhiannon Hades. The Guardian of Souls." She waited a moment then continued.

"You take souls from this world to the next or where ever they are supposed to go after they are finished here."

"Very good Miss Granger."

"Why are you here?" Neville looked a bit worried.

"Dumbledore made a request, something that I am considering."

"Why are you wearing those glasses, it's not that bright in here." Ginny had asked this but the others looked curios too. Rhiannon sighed and pushed her glasses up, letting the teens see her eyes. They were almost clear, with just a hint of blue around the edges. It was almost like looking at a blue tinted glass. With out the bit of color her eyes would have been completely white. They all looked surprised.

"That is why I wear the glasses; they were charmed by a good friend of mine so that no one can see my eyes. Most people are a bit freaked out by them."

"That's why they flickered last night? " Ron asked.

"Yes, that's why they flicker. Makes it easier to see what I'm doing at night." She turned slightly towards the door, "We should get to breakfast, don't want to be the last ones in." She waved the group ahead of her, knowing they'd talk but not truly caring. They were good kids, loyal, trust worthy and curious. Best to let them decide about her on their own. She followed behind them, her heeled boots making no sound on the stone floors. Even the quiet swish of her robes was barely audible unlike her that of her 'guard'.

They weren't exactly the last ones into the Great Hall, but close enough that when they entered many turned to look at them. Rhiannon scanned the students around her, noting a group of openly hostile Slytherins. Her guard had fallen back seemingly without thought and surrounded her. This is why she noticed Harry's slight tensing, his shallow breathing and the barely suppressed anger in his green eyes when a blonde boy at the table spoke loud enough for them to hear but not to carry to the teachers table.

"Potter it that a new girlfriend? Loads better than that Weasley chit."

Rhiannon slowed, studying the boy from behind her glasses.

"Wait no it's a nanny, itty bitty Potty has to have a nanny to keep him safe."

"Draco Malfoy." Luna whispered next to her, she would have guessed. It'd been years since she'd seen the spawn but he looked enough like his father to be recognizable. Damn but that family was a despicable bunch, she absently rubbed her thigh.

The group didn't stop; the boy was ignored much to her respect. They sat quietly at the end of the Gryffindor table, Luna sitting next to her. Apparently that was normal as no one said anything. With a grin she watched the boys hurriedly shove food into their mouths. The girls ate a much more sedate pace. Classes had been pushed back, the absence of a DADA teacher making for an open period in everyone's schedule. When the boys had slowed down and the dishes had disappeared she spoke. "Tell me about the night at the ministry."

Again Hermione spoke, telling with as much detail what had happened. She used legilimency, seeing the events, the brain room the spinning corridor everything until the end. The teens turned expectantly to Harry, who stared silently at the table.

"Harry please," Ginny nudged him. "Tell her, you haven't told anyone."

So the boy wasn't talking, she thought, she had a pretty good idea what he had seen. Dumbledore had told her at least from his point of view what had happened. He'd seen his godfather, by all accounts, die. Legilimency didn't work; he'd blocked all memory of the end of the battle out.

"I can't." He growled making Rhiannon sigh. The room was almost empty now, most of the teachers getting up to start class.

"Let's get you all to class," she stood up urging them forward. "Harry I want to talk to you."

Hermione and Ron hung back, worry for their friend evident but caught up with the others quick enough.

"I can't tell you what happened." Harry sounded angry.

"I know I'm not going to ask you to until you are ready. But you need to remember, using all your energy to block that night out is only going to hurt you worse." She smirked when she looked up at her anger now making his eyes glitter.

"You're no better than that greasy dungeon bat."

She chuckled "Ah Snape, well we called him worse when I was here but, yes I suppose you're right, I assume you're speaking of the Legilimency, I can't always control it Harry, and I was serious last night when I said you suck at Occulmency. But I promise to try to control it. I won't look into your memories again without your permission."

He looked at her a long time before nodding.

"Go join your friends; they will be talking about whether or not to trust me. You must decide this also."


	4. Draco's Mind

Disclaimer: and still I own nothing not even a proper computer desk but am willing to trade JKR everything in my pocket for my three favorite men::digs in pocket:: well a quarter, a half eaten animal cracker, monkey I think… and a thermometer from work… hmmm better come up with something better.

A/N thank you so much for your reviews!!!

Chapter 3 Draco's Mind

Harry rejoined his friends in time to hear Ginny prod Luna. "Come on Lovegood, you know her better than us, you said you met her before. Should we trust her?"

The spacey blonde smiled, "She is who she is. She guards us as we guard her."

"I'm staring to believe you are as nutters as everyone says." Ginny said this with no true malice.

"Luna is not nutters." Neville looked embarrassed at his outburst quiet as it was, "She just… has her own way of putting things."

"Thank you Neville." The girl smiled at him. "She is a Guardian, making her as neutral as the one she's bound to."

Now what did that mean? 'The one she's bound to?' Hermione looked at her friend. Well she wouldn't be Luna if she had a straight answer, she supposed.

"But if her loyalties are unknown why do we trust her?" She spoke finally.

Everyone shrugged.

"We know absolutely nothing about her other than Dumbledore knew her and asked her to do something, yet none of us objected to becoming her guard. We've known Snape for five years and he's done nothing but help us yet we don't trust him." She was on a roll now.

"She's familiar. Her scent, the sound of her voice. I think she's good, or at least not on the dark side." Harry mumbled. Ginny quickly agreed.

"I think she's familiar too, but I don't know why."

They continued on down the halls each giving their own feelings for trusting the Guardian.

"Ginny I believe you have charms first." Rhiannon's voice was right behind them, making them all flush with embarrassment at being caught talking about her.

"Um yes, Rhiannon." The girl mumbled and almost ran over tiny Professor Flitwick entering his room.

"Luna, it's Transfiguration for you yes?" The girl was already wandering off. "And potions for you four."

They nodded in unison.

They started down the stairs, Rhiannon walking with them now. "You are right you know." They weren't completely sure what she was talking about but had a pretty good idea.

"We weren't meaning to insult you." Ron squeaked.

She turned her hidden gaze on the boy, he really was quiet oblivious to things. "I know Ronald. You are perfectly right to question my trust. You don't know me. I could promise you I won't hurt you, at least not intentionally, but a smart witch or wizard would never believe me." They walked in silence to the dungeons. Out side the door to potions she stopped. "Here, I want each of you to take one of these." She held out her empty hand, a stack of small parchment squares appearing there. "Give one to the other two when you see them. Draw something on them that means a lot to you, anything you want. I will collect them later tonight." They looked a bit confused by this request but agreed anyway.

"Are you going to be staying?" Snape's voice was weary for once when he appeared in the doorway.

Rhiannon turned eyeing him "Depends. If I don't am I going to have to spend my day replacing jewels?"

The Potions Master scowled before waving the four gryffindors in.

"Potty's nanny has to walk him to class too. Better check his nappy, might need changing before class." Draco Malfoy snickered, shaking hands with his two cronies.

"I wish my nanny had looked like you, want a better paying job sexy?"

Snape opened his mouth intending to shut the idiot up but was stopped with a wave of Rhiannon's had.

"Draco Malfoy." She shoved the boys shoulder, backing him into the cold stone wall.

"Your reputation precedes you." She stepped closer a flirty smile on her lips. "Such a nice offer, a better paying job huh?" She lined her lips to his and smiled fully when the boy's mouth fell open. "Accio vox" She muttered and pulled away when an emerald green ball of light drifted out of his mouth. She conjured a small vial and caught the ball.

"That should keep your insulting little tongue silent."

The Slytherin boy opened his mouth but no sounds came out making his pale face redden with anger. "Be nice and I'll give it back."

_Give it back bitch_. He mouthed making Rhiannon laugh. She tossed the vial in the air and watched it spin making it disappear after a second.

"That was not a nice thing to say. Or at least try to say. You'll get your voice back when you can find it. Remember if it comes out of that vial when you're not around your voice will be lost forever."

Draco turned to stare at Snape, his pale eyes wide.

"He didn't see that, no one did. As far as anyone is concerned I'm merely talking to you." She lowered her glasses to look into his eyes.

_You're… _He mouthed eyes widening.

"So your father has told you about me?"

He nodded.

"So you'll tell him I'm here as soon as you possibly can." She stared into his eyes. Now this boy knew Occulmency, but she still slipped past his walls.

_A revel, muggle women screaming in pain, the boy merely watching not old enough to join in but he had wanted to, oh how he'd wanted to. A meeting of the death eaters, masked puppets all of them. Blindly obeying the one true leader. The Dark Lord calling him, his red eyes glowing. A request, no an order, the words lost in his mothers crying. _

Then the image changed, shifted, became blurrier more disjointed. This was the future what could happen, what would happen.

_A tower at night, the cool air moving around her. Power was building, dark and cold. She could see the outline of a wizard before her, raised her wand aiming at his chest. The words were forming on her lips, an unforgivable curse. The killing curse built in her chest. But before it could be uttered green light came from her side. She turned and looked in to a set of familiar eyes, so dark and filled with genuine pain. She whipped back around in time to see the wizard before her fall, recognizing him immediately. She saw herself, and a larger version of the boy, his father, with his hand wrapped around her throat the air being squeezed out of her. Pain shout through her belly and blood oozed down her legs._

Rhiannon gasped before shoving her glasses up again, Draco didn't look much better having turned a green color.

"You know I can send you to a place much worse than Azkaban." she spoke slowly, her words measured.

Draco nodded.

"You know why I am so useful."

Another nod

"Tell your father I know, tell your father where I am and I'll make sure your mother spends eternity in a place of nothingness. Forever alive but never feeling. Slowly driving herself as mad as your dear aunt."

The boy was shaking now, fear for his mother shinning in his eyes. Words of pleading on his silent lips.

"Go." She hissed; the hall around them had grown cold, the torches in the walls freezing.

She glared at Snape a moment making the grown man shiver.

"Watch the boy Severus." She hissed over her shoulder as she walked away. She needed to get away, needed to sort out what she had seen.


	5. A Dear Friend

Disclaimer: Still JKR's property.

A/N well this one is kinda… I don't know, hope you like… or at least enjoy! And Thanks for the reviews!!!

Chapter 4 A Dear friend

Rhiannon walked straight into the Forbidden Forest, ignoring the calls of Dumbledore and Hagrid. She didn't trust herself to speak let alone hold a rational conversation. The images she'd seen were burned into her mind. The emotions and smells making her shake. She sensed the forest creatures, at the edge of her consciousness. The centaurs giving her wide berth while most other animals scurried away at her approach. She walked until all light was blocked out and she was surrounded by giant spider webs. Continued walking until light poured in around her again. The boy was just like his father, a sadist to the core. The poor women their screams were echoing in her mind. Nothing she had seen had ended in death, with one exception. Even the vision of her own future, it hadn't been her death she knew that. Guardians were incapable of seeing their own death, just that of others. But she'd seen pain and suffering that could make one wish for death. She dropped down to sit on a fallen tree. The child, and that's what Draco was really, had seen things that most adults shouldn't see. Granted she'd seen worse, it was part of what she was to witness the absolute worst that humanity had to offer. But this boy seemed to relish the horrible acts both done to him and expected of him. She shuddered and would have noticed the man standing behind her but was replaying the murder the boy was supposed to commit over and over in her mind.

"I thought I smelled Irish cream." A man's deep rumbling voice made her jump.

Rhiannon spun around and smiled at the large sandy haired man standing behind her.

"Remus." She shrieked before launching herself into the werewolf's open arms.

He hugged her tightly chasing away the chills she'd been left with.

"The creatures are talking. A Guardian has come to visit us." He sat her down and followed her back to the fallen tree.

Rhiannon looked her friend over, he'd changed a lot in the five years since she'd seen him last. His robes were more frayed; shadows darkened his face where stubble didn't. He looked thin, like a man that didn't get quite as many meals as he needed and his sandy blonde hair reached his shoulders.

"Tell the creatures not to worry; I'm not here for one of them. Dumbledore has asked me for something." She smiled sadly at him. Remus Lupin, her best friend and first love. She'd missed him in the five years she'd spent in the States. "What are you doing here Remus? Last you told me someone from school had gotten you a job."

"Rhiannon, that was two years ago. Dumbledore hired me as DADA teacher, but it got out about me being a werewolf and that was the end of that." He shrugged sheepishly.

"Why didn't you contact me? I would have helped you."

"Ah Rhi," He had always used that name for her. "I was okay. About the same time a friend I thought had been lost came back. I stayed with him for a while, until… well he had to go again." He looked sad, worn down and lost.

"It was Sirius Black wasn't it?" She had seen the man in the children's memories.

"Yes. What are you doing here Rhi? Shouldn't you be in hiding?"

"Dumbledore asked for a favor. I'm willing to do it but I need permission from The

Elders before I can proceed."

Remus watched her a moment, saw the frown pulling at her lips. "What are you doing in the Forest?"

"I, I saw something in the eyes of a Slytherin boy." She knew Remus would understand her. "I just needed to take a walk, clear my mind."

"You're kind of far from Hogwarts. How bout I walk you back?" He stood and held out a hand for her. She grasped it enjoying the warmth that radiated from him. They walked in silence for a long time before he finally asked, "Want to tell me what you saw?"

"No."

"How bout who you saw it in?"

"Draco Malfoy." She sighed, idiot boy following in his father's footsteps.

"Oh, well. I can guess what you saw." He squeezed her hand "What did Dumbledore ask of you?"

"Such curiosity," She smiled at her friend, glad to have run into him. At least she could make his day better, somewhat. "He asked me to go to the ministry, and look into the veil."

Remus stopped her statement sinking in. "Sirius?"

She nodded, "As long as they approve." She really hoped they, would if for no other reason than to make Remus smile. She had a feeling she'd do it even if They didn't approve.


	6. Blasted Nothingness

Disclaimer I still own nothing. All still belongs to JKR.

Chapter 6

Blasted nothingness

"Bloody hell, this sucks." Sirius Black stared grumpily at what could best be described as nothing. Literally, there was nothing, he wasn't even sure what he was walking around on since there sure wasn't a floor under him. Just white, pure bloody white everywhere.

"Great f-ing day. Just get to the point where I can move about a bit and that bleedin loon Bellatrix had to curse me here." He growled and dropped down to sit, on nothing. He'd been here what felt like hours and had tried every counter-curse, spell and hex he could think of to get back to the ministry. Vaguely he knew that there was more involved than his crazy-ass cousin, something that had been behind him when he'd dodged that curse she'd thrown.

"Leave it to the idiots at the Ministry of Magic to leave something that could be described as nothing in a place where someone could fall into it." He paused and laughed at himself.

"Talking to your self old man? You know they say that's when you've really gone and lost it." With a growl he closed his eyes, and heard the same voice he'd been hearing since he'd landed rather ungracefully, flat on his arse in this…place. It was amazingly feminine, and soothing, but muffled as if coming from a room on the other side of an invisible wall. He'd made out a few things, mostly names and a few moments ago a girlish squeal.

"Well at least you're happy." He called to who ever it was he could hear and tried to be annoyed but something about the voice was holding him back from going completely crazy.

"Twelve years in Azkaban, I'm not going to go crazy in a few hours in an empty room." Sirius tapped his wand on his palm, it hadn't worked he mused. "Probably broke it when I fell."

He heard her again, and focused on the voice, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. But gave up when it seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time. He twirled his wand between long graceful fingers debating. How does one get out of nothing? With a little help maybe.

"HEY!!!" If I can hear her she should be able to hear me, he reasoned. "COME ON I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!!" He felt like an idiot yelling into nothing at a woman he wasn't sure actually existed. With a growl he shoved his hands into his shaggy black hair and continued to do nothing.

A/N sorry this one is so short. But I wanted to see what Sirius was up to… don't know that I really like how this chapter turned out but…

Please review!!!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- I Still own nothing. And am extremely envious of J.K Rowlings and her owning of all things Potter.

A/N Okay sorry this one has taken so long, it seems my muse has run away with my sanity and although I know what I want to say, I just couldn't figure out how to say it…this is what I settled on.

Chapter 7

Remus sat next to his friend in a guest chamber at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had suggested he take a break from the other werewolves for a little while, although he knew it was important to find out what they were up to, Remus couldn't help being relieved. He was tired of seeing how crappy a human could turn when they gave up on themselves.

With a sigh he turned to the witch leaning against him. She seemed as lost in thought as he was, idly turning a small green vial this way and that making the glowing object inside flicker and bounce.

"What is that you're playing with?" He growled.

"Oh just that brat Malfoy's voice." She grinned.

"I thought you said you put that somewhere he could find it."

"I will eventually. But not right now." She snapped her fingers making the bottle disappear. She turned to him, a scowl marring her features. "I can hear him."

Remus looked into her eyes, for once not hidden behind her glasses, and knew they weren't talking about Draco Malfoy and his now bottled voice. "What is… how is he?"

She shook her head looking a bit sad, "We need an answer soon. Remus he fell into an inactive veil, it will drive him crazy."

"Sirius survived twelve years in Azkaban Rhi; he'll be okay until you can get him out."

He sounded surer than he felt especially after looking into her eyes.

"Remus, when I take a soul into the veil I use, it's empty until seconds before they enter. There is nothing, no sound, no color just white. I'm the one that changes that, with out a guardian there he's sitting in what amounts to a muggle sensory deprivation tank. If what everyone has said and what the children remember Sirius was already on edge from being locked in his house for so long. This, it'll push him over."

"What was he saying? How did he sound?"

"He was yelling, said if he could hear me I can hear him. He's right you know. I've heard him talking to himself, I wasn't really sure what I was hearing at first, this is the first time anyone has gone into a veil unguarded. But then Albus contacted me, and I came here, now I know I've been hearing him."

Remus sighed If Rhiannon was worried then it was serious. "Okay what do we do?"

"There isn't much that can be done until They answer." She sighed and glanced at the clock. "The kids will be here in a few minutes I'm going to make an unbreakable vow."

Remus hissed "My fat Aunt Tilley's arse you are. You know what happens if you do that."

"You're fat aunt Tilley?" Rhiannon glared at him. "I've seen your aunt Tilley and she is not fat."

"That doesn't change the fact that you aren't making an unbreakable with them, I know how you seal those remember?" He shoved his sleeve up reveling a fiery grim, her mark.

"I know what will happen to me Remus." She rubbed her lower back. He caught a sliver of the wolf and moon tattooed on her, his mark. "I have to do this; Lucius will find out soon enough that I'm here. He'll try something to get close to Harry or one of his friends; I can't take the risk of him using me to do it."

Remus gave in; he had no will power where she was concerned, not, when he knew she was probably right. "I'll get the potions from Poppy." He drug his feet to the fireplace and yelled out "Infirmary" when the flames turned green. _Damn insufferable woman, she'd kill herself if it'd save someone else. _He thought apparently too loud.

"Just don't let anyone know that." Her voice followed him through the floo.

Rhiannon slumped down on the couch with a sigh. Sirius had sounded so desperate, so alone. She'd never heard someone like this, inside her head. Usually she was called to the witch or wizard with a kind of tug from somewhere near her heart. She couldn't actually hear the witch or wizard until she was with them. But Sirius had been talking almost constantly; she'd heard spells, hexes, charms, curses and even random words at first. She'd been standing in the middle of a busy kitchen when she'd heard a laugh, a deep masculine laugh. It had sent chills through her making her giggle herself. Then the next morning as she was dropping into bed for a couple hours sleep the charms had started. It'd taken almost two weeks before they'd stopped the whole time that voice had been in her head almost constantly. Then Dumbledore's familiar had shown up singing in the middle of the street in Muggle Texas. She'd had an idea of what she was hearing then.

"Rhiannon," Harry pushed the door open, his wand drawn followed closely by the others. "You didn't answer when we knocked."

"Oh sorry guys come on in."

They filed in standing in a line before her each looking a bit worried. "What is on your minds?" She could have just looked and found out but if she did that all the time how were they supposed to trust her? She caught Harry's eye a smirk on her lips at his scowl. "I have a bit more self control than Severus does, I won't look unless you give me permission."

Harry nodded and looked at Hermione.

"We read about the bits of parchment." She mumbled. "You're going to make an unbreakable vow for us aren't you?"

"Yes Hermione, I am."

"We don't want you to."

"That's not your choice, it's something I have to do." She stood up holding out her hand,

"Give me your drawings."

They looked at each other before digging in various pockets and book bags, looking a bit defeated.

"Well that's the last time I ask Poppy for a favor." Remus stepped out of the floo carrying a large bottle. "Hi kids."

"Lupin." Harry stood a bit straighter. "You didn't tell us you knew Lupin."

"You didn't ask me Harry." She smirked as the students surrounded their ex-professor. She wondered into her bedroom, giving them time to catch up, and gathered the things she'd need. She carried a large stone basin much like a penseive but with sharper edges and a bottle of ink as she reentered the living room.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" Remus asked levitating the coffee table out of her way.

"Yes."

He sighed then turned to the kids. "Harry, you and Ron hold the basin, Hermione take this," He handed her the potion he'd gotten from Madam Pomfry, "Luna, Ginny and Neville you three stand over there. If you're going to do this you better hurry up. They can't be late to dinner."

Rhiannon stared at her friend a moment, knowing he didn't want to see her in pain. But she couldn't think of another way to protect Harry. With a sigh she dropped the parchments into the stone basin face down without having ever looked at them then covered them with ink. Holding her hands out palms down over the black pool she spoke, her eyes closed and voice sounding rich. "I, Rhiannon Angelica Hades, Guardian of Souls, do swear upon my life, upon the souls of my ancestors that no harm shall come to these six, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna, by my hand or my mind. I use these symbols drawn from the heart to bind me to my word. If my word is ever broken may my fate be worse times three. My word is my oath, my blood my bind." With a hiss she dragged her palms along the basin's rough sides drawing blood. Harry and Ron were amazed to see the ink draw into her cuts, her nails turning black as her hands involuntarily jerked. Rhiannon could feel her throat closing, her breathing became shallow. Her veins turned black as the ink traveled up from her hands. It stung, her body seemed to fill with pain, and she could hardly breathe now. Her hands drew up the last of the ink as her lips turned black, then fell limp at her sides the basin now empty. The group stared shocked at her; Hermione knew something was wrong; none of the books they had read had mentioned this much pain, or the harsh way Rhiannon was now breathing.

Harry and Ron yelped, the basin hitting the floor hard when Rhiannon's eyes snapped open, the inky black rivaling even Snape's in their darkness. At least until she stopped breathing completely, her eyes rolling back in her head and fell backwards into Remus's open arms.

"Give her the potion." He growled at Hermione who poured the thick liquid into Rhiannon's open mouth.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hermione asked her voice muffled by Ron's shoulder. Remus looked up, noticing everyone in much the same position.

"Yes she'll be fine. She's allergic to something in the ink."

"She knew that would happen?" Harry looked mad.

Remus nodded understanding the teen's anger. "Yes, she knew."

Harry hissed before stomping out of the room, Ginny rushing to catch him.

"Is it okay if we come back tonight?" Neville sounded unsure.

"I believe that would be okay, but right now you should get to dinner." Remus waited for the rest of the teens to leave before gently stroking his friend's hair. She'd be out for a while longer. "I'm starting to think you're trying to kill yourself." He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. He remembered the first time he'd met her.

"Please Remus, she's my best friend." Remus stared into the sapphire eyes of his younger cousin.

"NO Athena. She can't stay with me." He knew he was fighting a losing battle but he had to put up some kind of fight.

"Remus Lupin, you live all alone and can barely afford to feed yourself. My best friend needs a place to stay and can help you with expenses but you're too stubborn to let her."

She had her fists braced on her hips anger making her eyes flash. "Mama and Papa won't let her stay with us."

"You know why she can't stay with me." He growled back.

She just rolled her eyes in that way all teens did. "Please, please? Please!"

Remus sighed "Fine, she can stay with me for a month." He could always find somewhere to go for the full moon.

"Oh thank you Remus! You're my favorite cousin." The dark haired witch hugged him tight.

"I'm your only cousin. Now hurry up, the train is leaving soon."

She rushed out of the shrieking shack only to return just as quickly dragging a small blonde witch behind her.

"Remus, Rhiannon. Rhiannon, Remus." Athena waved between them. "He's my cousin. You can trust him I promise." Someone yelled outside making Athena groan. "Oh I have to go if I miss the train Mama will kill me." She hugged the pair before rushing out the door. He'd taken a step towards the girl and found himself engulfed in the smell of blood. He must have jerked away from her as she looked up at him with a scowl.

"Look you don't have to take me in. I'm not a child; I'll find my own place." Her voice

was smooth, husky in its growl.

"I'd like for you to stay with me. You just… never mind." He felt a bit uncertain she obviously didn't really want to stay with him.

"Whatever, it'll just be for a month or so." The month had turned into five years and a failed romance between the two. They had split up but remained good friends, sharing their most guarded secrets. That had been the second time she'd taken an unbreakable vow.

Remus shook his head, pulling himself back to the present. Rhiannon was still sleeping next to him. Her breathing was slow and even the color returned to her face. She looked peaceful in her sleep, something she never looked when she was awake. She was troubled, he knew that. Just as he knew Lucius Malfoy had some kind of hold over her.

He was surprised to find an envelope sat in his lap, Rhiannon's name written neatly across it.

A/N- Okay I really don't know if I like this chapter but I needed to get it out, the vow and Rhiannon's allergic reaction to the ink will come back later in the story. As always please review, good, bad or otherwise!!


	8. Their answer

Disclaimer- I still own nothing but the plot.

A/N okay that last chapter was really long and took a while to write. I know I took some artistic license with the oaths in the last chapter, if you have questions or complaints drop me a line.

Chapter 8

Their answer

Rhiannon woke slowly, aware of the pain in her head and the back of her neck. She felt like she'd fallen from the top of the stands in the Quidditch pitch. She sat up with a groan, noticing Remus sitting quietly in the armchair across the room.

"That was different." Her voice sounded rough.

Remus glared at her, "One of these times no one is going to be around to help you, or there's not going to be enough potions to save you. Then what will happen huh? Your powers will be transferred to the person closest to you when you die. That could be anyone Rhiannon."

She felt like crap, and Remus was right. "I had to do it." She stood up.

He shook his head and held out the envelope he was holding. "This came while you were sleeping."

Rhiannon took it, they had answered. She tried to open it but the wax seal refused to budge. She sighed apparently they didn't want her to know just yet.

"The kids have come to check on you. They're waiting outside." Remus stood up and walked out, leaving her to follow.

Her guard was indeed waiting for her in the living room. Harry still looked mad she noticed.

"You're alright!" Neville jumped up almost spilling the bottle he held.

"Yea, sorry you had to see that."

Harry glared at her, his eyes glinting with anger. "How are we supposed to guard you?"

Rhiannon was taken aback by the anger in his voice as were the rest of them.

"What do you mean?"

"You made us your guard, how are we supposed to guard you from yourself?"

"I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't have let you guys see that." She had been stupid to let them stay; Remus could have handled it himself.

"You're just like him, laughing as you die. Not even thinking of the people around you." He yelled.

"I'm just like who Harry?"

"Like Sirius. He was laughing as he died, laughing and taunting Bellatrix. He didn't believe he would die and where does that leave me?"

Everyone looked stunned.

"What curse did she hit him with?"

"That's the whole point, she missed, and Sirius just fell. He wouldn't have died if he had dodged the other way."

Rhiannon sighed; he'd have to know sometimes. "He's not dead."

There was a chorus of "What's?"

"Sirius isn't dead, that's why I'm here."

Harry dropped onto the couch next to Ginny looking stunned. All attention was turned on her. "Dumbledore asked me to get him out."

"When!?" Harry asked.

"Tomorrow morning."

Remus looked up at this a question in his eyes but she shook her head before he could talk.

"What do we need to do?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing, just wait here."

They all looked like they were going to argue. "I'm serious. We don't know what has happened at the ministry since that night. There are probably wards and alarms. What if Voldemort were to appear?"

"I'd kill him." Harry hissed.

Rhiannon hung her head, the throbbing behind her eyes increasing and the burn on her neck was becoming annoying. "It's not time for that Harry, it will come later."

They sat in silence until Ginny spoke up.

"So what does your tattoo look like?"

Rhiannon smirked and lifted her braid to show them the back of her neck. The word Family was scrawled in what looked like ivy, a small snitch hovered over the 'm' while a book leaned against the 'f' and a small strange animal hung from the 'y' the 'I' was dotted with tiny hearts.

"Each of your drawings combined into one."

"What happens when you break your vow?" Luna asked. Rhiannon had noticed she said when not if. The girl was probably a seer.

"Depends upon what I do. Unlike a regular unbreakable the punishment isn't death, it would be much more painful. If I cause a cut on your finger I could very well lose one of mine. A few seconds of the Cruciatus curse on you would be an hour for me."

"Why did you do this to yourself?" Ron asked.

"She did it to protect us from her." Luna answered her eyes were misty.

"What does that mean?" Harry glared at her again.

"I'm not a seer; I won't claim that I am. But, I do see things, know things. When I met you three at the gates I knew I could be used against you. This is my way of stopping that. No matter what I do, what curses are being used on me, if I cause you harm the results will be instantaneous making it impossible for me to kill anyone of you." Harry looked thoughtful.

"Will you be able to get Sirius back?" he asked.

"Yes."

Somewhere in the halls bells tolled, signaling curfew. Rhiannon stood waving for the group to go. "Hurry now before the dungeon bat catches you and I have to sit in detention with you for the rest of the year."

They all nodded, Harry looked like he wanted to protest, but she cut him off. "You will be the first we see tomorrow."

He nodded grudgingly and led the others out. Only Neville hung back looking sheepish, he hadn't said much, just sat there clutching the large bottle he'd almost dropped earlier.

"Miss Rhiannon." He blushed wildly, "This is for you." He held out the bottle.

She took it from him surprised at the weight. It was a clear bottle full of a thick glittery blue liquid.

"What is this Neville?"

"Remus said you were allergic to something in the ink. Most inks are made from squid ink. So I thought maybe you were allergic to the squid." He seemed shocked at his own knowledge and gulped. "It's a special ink made from forget-me-nots. I use it to study, I thought, maybe if you have to do another of those vows, you could use this instead."

She stood surprised, why had she never thought of that? "Thank you Neville I will most defiantly use it if I have to take another oath." She ruffled the teen's hair, making him squeak before rushing to catch up with the others. Rhiannon watched him a moment before closing the door and studying the bottle of ink.

"What if you can't get him out? What if they say no?" Remus handed her a cup of Irish cream whisky. She shrugged.

"I'll get him out, I promised Harry." She sipped at the drink, relaxing her tense muscles.

"And if you can't?"

She glared at him; he'd always been one to see the pessimistic side of things. Damn his logic and level headedness. "I will."

With a growl Remus got up "I hope you're right, Goodnight Rhi." He kissed her cheek and went to his own room.

She listened to him move around awhile, letting herself drift. Remus was right, if the elders denied her request there was very little hope of getting Sirius out of the inactive veil. She wasn't sure whose it was. There was no telling where the ministry acquired it. Remus had grown quiet now, with a sigh she pulled out the envelope from the elders. The seal was loose now, opening easily. The writing was flourished and loopy in a language few could read. But she did so quickly. She dropped the parchment and hissed.

"Remus is going to be pissed." A wave of her hand and her stone basin was once more in front of her. Well she had promised Harry. The parchment went into the basin along with a good portion of Neville's ink.


	9. Into the veil

Disclaimer- I now own a computer desk…but still nothing to do with the Potter verse.

A/N- Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. It makes it a lot easier to write! And now for what everyone has been waiting for…

Chapter 9

Into the veil

The bells tolled three when Rhiannon shook Remus awake. She wore a long white cotton dress; her hair hung loose the shorter layers curling a bit and her eyes were once again covered by her charmed glasses.

"Remus get up, I want you there incase something happens." She shook his shoulder a bit harder.

He growled menacingly, making her giggle. "You don't scare me; I slept with you for two years. Now get up!" She waved her hand at the sleeping wizard sending his mattress tumbling over.

'Oi you brat what'd you do that for?" Remus's voice was rough with sleep; she'd always liked waking him up like that. It was so entertaining.

"I want you to go with me to the ministry."

"What time is it?"

"Just after three," She waved at his closet and caught his robes as they flew out. "Now get dressed and meet us outside. I'm going to get Dumbledore." She glided from the guest chambers greatly relieved that he hadn't looked too closely at her.

The Elders had demanded something great of her, something she'd never expected in return for allowing Sirius to exit the veil he'd fallen into. They could be crafty when they wanted and apparently they had something in store for her. Her left wrist still stung a bit, her newest tattoo shimmering blue in the dim halls. At the moment it looked like random patterns and lines. At least no one would know who the image belonged to. She sighed and tugged her sleeve lower.

The gargoyle covering Dumbledore's office jumped aside when she waved at it, as one of the only people that could enter the rooms at Hogwarts without the passwords she'd been in all four house common rooms in her time at the school. Dumbledore was up and dressed, talking quietly to Snape. She took a moment to study the Dark wizard; he wasn't really all that bad. A snarky bastard yes, but who wouldn't be with the life he led as a spy. He was an excellent teacher, demanding no less than perfection from his students but rarely getting it. She herself had been merely proficient at potions, nowhere near as good as her best friend Athena. Snape had snapped at her constantly just like any other Gryffindor until her third year. That was when she'd become a Guardian. He'd caught her returning to Gryffindor tower one night before she'd learned to return to the place she'd been pulled from. He'd looked into her mind after she'd refused to tell him where she'd been, what was there made him shudder. The library at Malfoy manor was a bloody mess and she'd been standing in the middle of it holding the hand of a young witch as she was mutilated. The death had still been fresh in her mind, as was the blood on her trainers and jumper. He'd avoided looking her in the eyes from that day on, unless she forced him.

If she was honest with herself they disliked each other more because they were too much alike than because of any real hatred. That and she just enjoyed taunting him.

"Severus," she made her presence known to the Potions Master, smirking when he jumped. "Run along and tell Lucius that I'm here. Tell him Albus was watching you too closely for you to contact him." She paused knowing what would happen if Snape kept silent much longer. "Leave out the part about Draco; you weren't supposed to see it anyway."

Snape looked like he wanted to argue but Dumbledore cut him off, "Go Severus. You know what will happen if you don't, and I believe Rhiannon knows what will happen when you do."

"He'll summon you." Snape sighed.

Realization dawned on her then; she understood The Elders reasoning, at least part of it.

"When it doesn't work remind him that it has been thirteen years since he made that charm that perhaps its power has run out."

She watched him stand up, start to bow to Dumbledore then stop and simply walk to the door. "Remember whose side you're on Professor." She hissed at he passed her.

His dark eyes glinted in anger. "Only if you'll choose a damn side."

"I have." She shut the door in his face. "Ready?" She turned to Dumbledore.

He was eyeing her suspiciously, "What did you do?"

"Nothing that you need to worry about Albus." She tugged at her sleeve.

He glared at her and before she could stop it her sleeves flew up.

"You bound yourself!" He yelled. Rhiannon flinched; she had seen the worst people imaginable. Had her life threatened repeatedly but none of that scared her like an angry Albus Dumbledore. "Why would you do something like this? You know what happens!"

"Yes I know Albus. If he dies I die I understand that."

"And yet you still did it."

Rhiannon glared at him, they were wasting time "I did it because that's what the Elders demanded in return for letting Sirius out. It was the only way."

Dumbledore didn't know what to say so she turned to the door. "Come on I want to get there before Lucius."

After meeting Remus at the doors they walked in silence to the apparation point. Rhiannon disappeared silently only to reappear just as silently in front of the ministry of magic. She looked up at the building with disgust. Remus and Dumbledore appeared with loud pops on either side of her.

"I hate this place." She mumbled, "Stupid wankers, I remember my grandma after they took the veil from her. I was just a kid, maybe four or so. She said they were messing with something they didn't understand. My grandfather had looked at me then said maybe this happened to teach someone a lesson. He spent a week sleeping on our couch." She grinned. They walked into the lobby ignoring the security desk.

"Yes I remember your grandparents, they were good people." Dumbledore guided them down corridors and through doors. They stood in a room surrounded by door and waited as it spun quickly then walked through the door in front of them.

"Wow this place is creepier than I remember." Remus spoke for the first time.

Rhiannon looked around the large room. There was nothing but a stone arch with a tattered veil stretched across it. She felt its pull, the magic of it danced along her skin.

"Be careful Rhi." Remus stood near the door watching the corridor beyond.

"Yeah I will." She assured as she put her hands on either side of the stone arch. She felt the air around her shift. They'd set off an alarm. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes now hurry." Dumbledore pulled his wand a sure sign that he was expecting trouble. She leaned into the space seeing the bright expanse shift and turn into the top of a cliff. Who the hell decided on this?

"Oh bloody hell that's high." She pulled back.

"Shit." Remus growled and closed the door, "Malfoy just entered the corridor."

"Go now." Dumbledore yelled.

The door was yanked open before she could step in. "Creepy little Guardian, going to save my muggle loving cousin?" The voice made Rhiannon's skin crawl. She turned to look back again; Bellatrix Lestrange stood looking every bit as crazy as she was just inside the door. Remus and Dumbledore were pressed against the wall waiting for her to come all the way in.

"Bella, you look… well" She hissed not liking where this was going.

"Better than I can say for you." She pulled out a small dagger, balancing it in her palm.

_Shit,_ Rhiannon thought watching her_; this is not going to end well_. "What do you want Bellatrix?"

The woman cackled, "Your job."

"Good luck with that you crazy bitch." Rhiannon saw the knife fly through the air but couldn't move quick enough to stop it; it slammed into her shoulder knocking her back into the veil and over the edge of the cliff. She saw red burst from the end of both men's wands then rocks flying past.


	10. They meet

Disclaimer- I own nothing you recognize, only Rhiannon and the illogical plot!!! All else belongs to the beautifully talented JKR

Chapter 10

They Meet

Sirius jumped when the white around him flickered to something else then went back. "What the hell?" He muttered

"Oh bloody hell that's high." That voice again, she was above him somewhere.

"Shit" Was that Remus? Sirius was sure he'd heard his friend, there was more talking a high shrill voice and the dulcet tones of the woman he'd been hearing all night. He looked up following her voice.

"Good luck with that you crazy bitch." She said.

Sirius was surprised again when the world around him shifted, became a small canyon with high cliffs on each side. In front of him there was a row of gates of varying heights and colors. He took a step forward to touch them, but heard something above him. Whatever was falling was coming fast. He looked up to see a woman jerk to a stop in mid air a couple dozen feet above him. Her eyes were shut tight, her dress hanging away from her body. Her arms were held out in front of her as though she was bracing herself. The woman hung there for a moment before dropping. He held out his arms she didn't look all that heavy. The combined weigh and momentum from the falling woman carried them both to the ground.

"Oi what the hell?" he groaned, that really should have hurt more than it did. He felt something hard dig into his shoulder and pushed her off him.

"Hey you okay?" he gently pushed the curls off her face, she was pretty with ruby red lips and thick dark lashes. She still had her eyes tightly closed but she was breathing.

"Well if I'm going crazy at least I'll have beautiful company."

"Bloody fucking hell!" She sat up. It was her! The woman he'd been hearing.

"It's you! Who are you? Where the hell am I?" He shook her.

"Oww you git. Don't do that!" She hissed now, but didn't look at him. She was searching the ground around them. "Thanks for breaking my fall." She shoved the glasses she'd picked up on then raised her face to him.

"Didn't exactly have a choice there did I?"

She smirked reminding him of Snivellus, making him suspicious. "Who are you?"

"Rhiannon, I'm a Guardian." She was staring down at her shoulder muttering to herself. Her long hair curtained her movements making it impossible for his to see what she was doing. He shifted to his other foot, and pulled out his wand just in case. She didn't know it didn't work.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bleeding to death, no thanks to your idiot cousin." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, revealing a silver dagger. His eyes widened at the stream of blood running from her shoulder to pool on the vivid green grass next to her. Bellatrix did this? How did she know his cousin? And what had she done to warrant getting stabbed? Not that Bellatrix really needed a reason to torture anyone. But a Guardian, what was a Guardian doing anywhere near that group? He vaguely remembered a story about guardians that his nanny had told him. They were neutral entities, which were seen only at death.

"So… I'm dead?" He asked shoving his hair out of his eyes.

"No, although most people believe so." She was wiggling the dagger.

"Want some help?" He reached out to grab the handle.

"No! Don't touch it!" She crab crawled back. "Stay the hell away from it! Are you bloody stupid?" She was glaring up at him, at least he thought she was but he couldn't really tell.

"Damn for someone that's bleeding to death you sure are a bitch to someone trying to help you." He pulled back watching her shift the dagger.

"And for someone described as naturally gifted you sure are dimwitted." Her tone was down right snarky.

"How do you know me?"

"Dumbledore told me about you, as did Remus and Harry and his friends. But they left out the part about you being idiotic enough to try and grab a cursed knife."

"You know Harry?" He dropped down next to her.

"Yes I met him the other day."

The other day? Harry had been locked down in Hogwarts since before Christmas. He pointed his wand at her but she didn't move. "You're lying."

He watched her sigh, and stop fiddling with the dagger. "Sirius Orion Black, you should know better than that. You've heard me talking constantly, haven't you figured out how long you've been in here?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's been a month since that night at the ministry."

He couldn't believe it, a month? Harry would be out of school, getting ready to go back to the Dursleys. He hung his head, his shaggy hair covering his face. What had he done, he'd let Harry down again. Had screwed up when he should have been there for his godson.

Rhiannon watched the man before her, he was down right gorgeous. She watched him rub his long tattooed fingers over his face and ignored the throbbing in her arm. She'd have to pull the dagger out soon but wasn't quite ready yet and Sirius Black was proving to be a good distraction. She'd noticed him pull his wand, even though he knew it wouldn't work here. She wondered what he thought he could do with it.

"Has Harry gone on holiday yet?" His voice was deep and warm making her shiver.

"No not yet, they leave the day after tomorrow." She sighed her fingers were going numb now.

"When you go back will you tell him I'm sorry?" He sounded resigned like he'd accepted something but didn't like it.

"No tell him yourself. He's not exactly happy with me at the moment." She took a deep breath and grabbed the dagger, one more and yanked. Blood rushed freely now even more pooling next to her. She was starting to feel a bit cold, nothing new there but she felt oddly numb all over now. She was dimly aware that there was way too much blood now.

"Come on help me up." She raised her hand to Sirius only to find she couldn't hold her own weight.

"What curse was on that knife?" He felt her sag against him.

She shook her head indicating she didn't know. "Think about Hogwarts." Mumbled against him and crossed her fingers that this worked. She had no particular room in the school in mind, just the castle. She closed her eyes and wrapped both arms as tightly as she could around the man practically carrying her.

"You focused on it?"

"Yes." His breath tickled her ear as she focused on her destination. They seemed to dissolve into the landscape.


	11. of Blood and Orders

Disclaimer- Still don't own them but if I did that veil would have disappeared long before our beloved Sirius fell through…

A/N this one is for Charlotte because I admit my Chapters were getting short. Sorry ;-)

Chapter 11

Of blood and orders.

Thursday's Double potions class with fifth year Gryiffindors and Slytherins was anything but normal. First Draco Malfoy didn't have a disparaging word to say to the Gryffindors; in fact he hadn't said a word to anyone for a couple days. Second Neville Longbottom hadn't melted a cauldron or blown up a potion all day, Hermione was doing enough of that on her own. As if that wasn't strange enough Professor Snape didn't seem to mind and when yet another cauldron suddenly burst into a fountain of violet and green sparks the professor just sighed, waved the mess away with his wand and dismissed the class half an hour early. He returned to staring in to space until the last student scrambled out, a bit worried at their normally snarky professor's lack of anger.

"I'm sorry sir." Hermione hung her head, tears choking her voice.

He glared at her. "I suppose you are all hanging around here to see if the dark lord has your friend." It had been more than a day since Dumbledore and Remus had comeback from the Ministry looking more than a bit beaten up. "Malfoy and Lestrange" they'd mumbled as Madam Pomfrey healed them.

"Have you heard anything?" Harry asked.

"No" Snape growled at them, he really hadn't heard anything. Rhiannon weirded him out but he didn't want her dead; she would be of great help to their side. The group went silent each lost in their own thoughts until there was a loud thud from Snape's private office. Snape was the first through the door, wand drawn against whatever could have found its way in there.

"Um help?" Sirius Black was standing confused next to the professor's desk, papers scattered around him and a bleeding Rhiannon draped across his arms.

Sirius felt a strange tingle move over his body and watched as the cliffs around him disappeared. The woman in his arms was getting colder by the second. He closed his eyes and thought of Harry, he was at Hogwarts. Hopefully they wouldn't appear in the middle of the great hall at dinner time, although with the luck he was having it wouldn't surprise him in the least. He'd end up back in Azkaban and everything anyone one had done for him over the last couple years would be pointless.

They reappeared in a dark office, at least Sirius assumed it was an office as the thing he stumbled into felt like a desk Rhiannon whimpered as he shifted her and he thought she passed out. He took a step and knocked something over, the silent room filling with the fluttering of papers then the click of wards being lifted. Quickly pulling out his wand, and ignoring the thought of it not working he held it as best he could with the unconscious woman in his arms. The large door flew open revealing Severus Snape, wand drawn in one hand the other thrown out to hold a small group of teens back. Sirius had never been so happy to see the greasy bastard in all his life and said the first thing that came to mind, "Um Help?" then rolled his eyes at his own idiotic words.

"What have you done to her Mutt?" Snape hissed entering the small room and lighting torches.

"Nothing Snivellious but she needs to get to Madam Pomfrey quick." He shifted her in his arms and waited while Snape lit a fire.

"Harry." Sirius grinned at his godson, relieved.

"Sirius." Harry moved closer then stopped when he stepped on something.

"Don't touch that." Sirius put one foot over the dagger that had fallen out of Rhiannon's limp hand. "She said it was cursed." Harry nodded and backed off.

"Infirmary." Snape bellowed, waited until the flames turned then ushered them through.

"What happened?" he asked as they rushed her down the rows of beds, the teens moving quicker yelling for the medi-witch as they ran. Sirius was getting a bit worried; he could feel her blood seeping through the layers of his suit, his hands becoming slick where he held her.

"I don't know exactly, she fell from a cliff I guess, said Bellatrix had stabbed her. She was okay till she pulled the dagger out. Don't you know what happened, I thought you were friends with those people?" Sirius glared at the dark wizard unsure of why he really pushed the man.

"What is this?" The medi-witch finally reached them her voice shrill with shock.

"She needs help before she bleeds to death." Sirius sat Rhiannon on a bed, staring in surprise at just how much blood was covering him when he stood up. Rhiannon's once white dress was mostly red now, her hair clumped together with blood. Hermione started crying out loud then, drawing his attention away from the pale woman for a moment.

"Harry, are you okay?" He asked unsure of what one should say when they were believed dead for a month. His godson nodded barely looking away from Rhiannon.

The doors from the hall opened with a deafening thud, emitting Remus and Dumbledore.

"How is she?" Remus was by their side in a moment ignoring everyone but Rhiannon, making Sirius curious about the pair. He felt oddly attached to the woman even though they had just met. She was beautiful, he could see that but that didn't explain the pull he had felt when she'd wrapped her arms around him to appirate. He shook his head, Rhiannon was almost dead and here he was thinking about how beautiful she is.

"Not good," said Madam Pomfrey, "I can't get the blood to stop."

"Get it stopped!" Remus growled then looked contrite. "Sorry, getting close to the full moon."

"I'm trying." The medi-witch growled back. "Sirius where is the dagger she pulled out?"

"Um in Snape's office. She thinks it was cursed." He felt helpless, this woman had risked her life to get him and he could do nothing to help her. He growled in frustration.

Remus's head snapped up. "Padfoot." Sirius was quickly enveloped in a hug by his best friend. "Glad to see you, but what happened to Rhi?"

Sirius sighed and told the story again as a blood replenisher was forced down Rhiannon's throat. She gained color for a moment then grew pale again as even more blood seemed to rush out of her.

Sirius had seen Snape leave, probably to tell his master she was good as dead. He felt himself get mad, damn that man, leaving her here to die. He shoved his bloodied hands through his hair, deciding just how to punish the git when he rushed back in carrying a large dark bottle and looking worried. Sirius was pretty sure things were bad if Severus Snape was worried.

"Get this in her as quick as possible." He handed the bottle to Remus and hurried Madam Pomfrey into a store room, bringing back a bunch of bottles.

"Get that into her!" Snape hissed. Sirius didn't like the look in his enemy's eyes; it was something that bordered on worry for the Rhiannon. He lifted her body and tilted her head so Remus could pour the thick liquid into her mouth. It looked like black honey, and moved the same way. Sirius shuddered trying to imagine drinking the stuff. Rhiannon shuddered as if in response to him, her body jerking for a moment before the blood stopped, her color came back and her breathing became deeper.

"Give her this." Snape shoved another bottle at them, this one was bright purple, and smelled like berries as Remus poured it in her open mouth, she shuddered again. They continued to pour potions into her, some Sirius recognized and others that made him shudder. Everyone had moved back, sitting on the edge of a bed nearby until Snape finished tying a neat knot in a row of muggle stitches. He waved his wand over the woman and moved back as Rhiannon jerked upright and groaned in pain.

"Rhiannon, are you okay?" Dumbledore asked.

She coughed hard, shoving herself back against Sirius and nodded in answer. "What curse?" She asked looking at Snape.

"It was a combination. One to make your blood thin, one to block any replinishers or anything to magically close the wound. There was one that would have caused infections every time the wound was cleaned and various other nasty little things. Bellatrix wanted you dead."

"She wants to be a Guardian." Dumbledore chuckled looking at Rhiannon, who smiled softly too.

"I told her good luck, I think that's when she got pissed and threw the knife at me."

She shifted again, making Sirius aware of the bloody clothes now plastered against him.

"Too bad that's already been taken care of."

"I think every one should let you rest." Madam Pomfrey suddenly took charge again.

"No, I refuse to stay in here." Sirius was surprised at the strength in her voice and by the stubborn set of her jaw when he stood up and moved to the end of her bed.

"You need to rest." The medi-witch argued.

"I can rest in my own room. I don't want to stay in here. And I'm not a student so you can't force me to." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Sirius was by her side in an instant when he saw her sway. He couldn't explain the protective wave that washed over him but decided not to fight it. Instead he swept her up into his arms and followed Remus out the doors, leading an odd kind of processional through the hallways of his old school.

Rhiannon looked up at Sirius; his grey eyes reflected a tiny image of her self. Their intensity making her stomach flutter. "Thank you." She whispered

"For what? It's I who should be thanking you."

"Then maybe we're even." She liked how he flipped his hair out of his eyes with a casual toss of his head.

"I don't think so, if I had stayed where I was told, I wouldn't have fallen into that place to begin with. You wouldn't have had to face Bellatrix and there for wouldn't have been stabbed or nearly bled to death, so I believe I owe you a few more saves to be even."

She shook her head; recognizing the glint in his eyes and didn't argue, saying instead, "You don't have to carry me. I can walk."

He shrugged but didn't answer. "Remus is he always like this?" She called.

"Like what Rhi?" The werewolf answered, pushing open the door to the guest chambers.

"Quiet."

"No." Remus looked at Sirius oddly for a moment; she didn't miss the silent conversation that passed between the two. But noticed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville following closely on Sirius's heels, looking worried.

"Go tell the others we are back, we will have dinner in here tonight." She smirked when Harry smiled before chasing his friends through the halls. "Figured you'd like to catch up in private." She sighed as Sirius sat her in a comfortable armchair.

"What happened after I fell in? I saw you two stun her." She looked between Dumbledore and Remus.

"You saw us try and stun Lucius. He was ready for it though, got off a couple of good ones before we could bind him and Bellatrix." Remus answered putting a finger through a hole in the side of his robes.

Rhiannon shook her head, as she stared at her friend.

"The dark lord is… upset with Lucius for keeping his knowledge of you a secret." Snape offered. "He will try twice as hard to gain back the control he lost over you." Rhiannon nodded indicating she heard him. But decided to change the subject. "Sirius, what are you planning to do now that you're back?"

Sirius had been silent for a while now, "I don't know, spend time with Harry I guess."

Dumbledore spoke up then, "Sorry Sirius. I've already talked with Harry about this; He has to go back to the Dursleys. At least this last summer." The elderly wizard looked strange, like he knew something no one else did. Rhiannon tried to look into his mind but found herself blocked. He was the only wizard that could do that to her.

"But he's my godson. I should be allowed to take care of him." Sirius argued, and she was given to agree.

"By all accounts you are still dead Sirius. It's probably better if the ministry believes that until we can recapture Peter." Remus, always the voice of reason.

"Fuck the ministry." Rhiannon smirked at the surprised looks from Albus, Sirius and Snape. "Why the hell should Harry have to suffer because they can't admit they fucked up fifteen years ago?"

"Yeah." Sirius agreed standing up to pace. "They've got to know Voldemort is back by now. How can I help if I can't even take care of Harry?"

Albus smiled, apparently he'd already thought this through and Rhiannon didn't like the sparkle in his eyes. "What Albus? What scheme have you come up with this time?" She demanded.

"No scheme." The Headmaster straightened to his full height, Rhiannon glared knowing whatever it was they'd all agree because he was their leader, crazy as he may or may not be. "Sirius you will guard our Guardian until a permanent solution is…presented."

Rhiannon's mouth fell open, she needed to be guarded? Making the kids her guard had only been a way to torment Snape and be able to keep an eye on them, keep them out of further trouble. But to actually have someone guard her was annoying. Even if he was mouth wateringly handsome with that shaggy black hair and those tattoos…where the hell had that come from she wondered looking at the man. Oh that's right, not having sex in like six years would do that. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad… no it would defiantly be bad, having that man underfoot constantly would make her nuts.

"No Albus. I'm going back home, I don't need anyone to guard me there."

"You can't return and you know it. Now stop being stubborn Miss Hades. Sirius and you will be safe at Grimmuald Place."

At this point Sirius looked up a scowl darkening his eyes, "No I refuse to go back to that house. I hate it there."

"Both of you will cease this childishness." Dumbledore snapped his tone holding all the authority of a general directing his troops. "I swear first years are easier to deal with than you two. You will do as I say or I will lock you there myself."

Both of them hung their heads feeling ashamed, mumbling "Yes sir." In unison.

"Do you have something to add Severus?" Dumbledore had caught the smirk on his potions professor's face.

"Nothing sir, just thinking it's like the suicidal leading the suicidal. They'll get the other killed with in a week."

"You miserable…" This time it was Rhiannon that was cut off by Dumbledore.

"You are most correct Severus…so you will also be staying with them. Secretly of course."

"But Sir!" Severus gasped, outrage making his black eyes glitter.

"Oh come on Sevie," Rhiannon smirked, this might not be so bad after all. "It'll be fun."

"Yeah Snivellus, like a big sleep over." Sirius caught her eye and winked, a slow sexy grin playing over his lips.

Snape stood up and stomped out of the chambers, muttering about infuriating Gryffindors and addled old men. Dumbledore turned and smiled warmly at Sirius, "Welcome back my boy. Rhiannon feel better." He moved quietly to the door too, pulling a lemon drop out of his pocket. Only Remus was left to watch his two best friends and laugh to himself. Maybe Dumbledore would let him stay with them a while, things would much more interesting there than they would with a pack of werewolves.

"Don't say a word." They both growled at him at the same time, making him laugh out loud.


	12. Dinner

Disclaimer- Everything recognizable belongs to JKR

Chapter 12

Dinner

"I'm going to take a shower." Sirius watched Rhiannon stand a bit unsteadily and walk down the hall. He waited till they could hear the shower running before dropping down next to Remus.

"Are you feeling alright Padfoot?" Remus asked.

"Yeah surprisingly, I feel better than I did. Where the hell was I Moony?" He was still confused on that, there just hadn't been time to explain it.

"You were in an inactive veil. From what Rhi says it's a portal to the next life."

"Was I really there for a month?"

"A bit more. We didn't know what to do. Harry hadn't smiled since that night, Dumbledore sent me to find out what the other werewolves are doing, No one has been back to Grimmuald Place we just couldn't. I didn't even show anyone your will; I couldn't bring myself to admit you were dead. Glad I didn't" Remus shook his head.

"Hey glad you didn't too." Sirius grinned at his friend. A month, no wonder he felt so rested. "So what are you and Rhiannon?" He defiantly wasn't one to mince words.

"Friends." Remus smiled softly. "She was my flat mate for a while before she moved to the states."

"How old is she?" Sirius was watching the hall, waiting for her to come back out. She really was pretty.

"Mid twenties. Why?" Remus was grinning at him.

"Just curious." Rhiannon walked out at that moment; Sirius couldn't take his eyes off her. Her skin was pink from the hot water; her hair was braided brushing the leg of a pair of muggle jeans that looked like they'd seen better days. Her well worn cotton top made him grin; it was stripes of alternating gold and scarlet.

"You look better." He smiled.

"Thanks Sirius, washing a couple gallons of your own blood off will do that." She smirked making Remus chuckle. "Bet you wouldn't look half bad if you took a shower too."

He glared at her, she sure was snippy, "Want to join me and find out?"

"No thanks." She smirked making him wonder what her eyes looked like when she smiled. She'd had those glasses on the whole time. The thought of her being blind briefly crossed his mind but he got the feeling she was looking him the eye when they talked. He wanted to take them off her.

"Don't even think about it." She growled as if she had read his mind. He grinned at her before walking down the hall. At the bathroom door he turned just enough to see her lean over and kiss Remus on the cheek and whisper something in his ear, making the man blush and smile. Maybe they were more than friends; Remus had always been more reserved about his relationships than either him or James. Not really talking about his girlfriends.

Sirius closed the door and looked around the bathroom. It was still warm from Rhiannon's shower; fog still clouded the mirror a bit. The scent of blood and her soap hung in the air, nothing flowery or sweet just clean, like fresh linens. He pulled open a cabinet and found a stack of clean towels and a bottle of soap. He smelled it, Remus's; well at least he wouldn't smell like a woman all day. He grimaced as his blood soaked clothes stuck to him when he tried to pull them off. He turned the water on as hot as he could stand and stepped in, quickly washing the blood off himself and out of his hair. He shut the water off and stepped up to the sink. Wiping the mirror off he glared at the bearded man reflected there. He hated having a full beard like this, hadn't even realized he had one until he ran his hands over his face in the infirmary, it reminded him too much of being in Azkaban. "Come on Remus, I know you have one in here." He searched through the medicine cabinet behind the mirror until he found what he was looking for, a muggle razor. Good old Remus, he'd never liked using magic to shave. Said it was soothing to do it the muggle way. Sirius had to admit after Remus had convinced him to try it their sixth year that he liked it better than the magical way. He rubbed shaving cream over his face and wet the razor, carefully dragging it across his skin. He thought about Rhiannon, she didn't know him, so why would she risk her life to save him? Not that he was really in danger there but still. It was nice being back, seeing Harry again. He had started to think he had just gone crazy and that maybe he was still in Grimmuald Place, just too insane to notice until she had fallen on him. Dumbledore had told her about him, and she was friends with Remus that made him pretty sure she was on their side but, she was a guardian they were supposed to be neutral. So how could she be on their side? He shook his head, too much thinking. He rinsed the last of the shaving cream off and wrapped the towel around his waist, hoping Remus had something he could wear until he could get a new wand or return to Grimmuald Place.

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Rhiannon was leaning against Remus's shoulder listening quietly as he told her about fighting Lucius and Bellatrix. It had been a short fight, neither side winning or losing. The two death eaters had backed out as quickly as they could, disappearing into different rooms off the spinning corridor before they could be captured. But her mind wasn't on what Remus was saying but instead on the man in the shower. He had made her feel all tingly when he'd picked her up in the infirmary, she'd never felt anything like that before. She didn't even know the man beyond what she'd been told and that had been enough to assume he was brash and if not stupid then foolhardy. He had defied orders to stay behind and gone to the ministry instead, although he was just trying to protect his godson. He obviously loved Harry very much to risk going back to Azkaban repeatedly to help the boy. She couldn't blame him; Harry was a loveable kid, as were his friends. She wished she could see more than just deaths when she looked at the future, maybe her friend Athena could tell her what would happen to them, she had always been better at seeing good things in the future than she had.

"And then the giant tuna told me that Lucius was wearing nothing but a gold colored bikini and dancing a waltz with Voldemort who was dressed in a pink furry teddy."

"Really, that's nice…" She responded then paused "Wait what?"

"I knew you weren't really listening to me. What's on your mind Rhi?"

Rhiannon blinked at him a moment, a look of complete disgust on her face, "Voldemort and Lucius in lingerie now thanks to you." She shivered dramatically making him laugh.

"No really, you were a thousand miles away even before I said that."

"Just thinking about the kids, what they're going to be like in the future… if they'll all make it that far, and things like that." She felt sad at the thought of them not living to see the end of the war. She wasn't sure about them, hadn't wanted to look to see their deaths.

"And?" He urged.

"I'm too chicken to look. I was wondering if Athena could see after the war, at least if it's a happy ending or not." She knew she was being silly her friend had tried repeatedly to see the end of the war, but all she could see was a huge battle, with both sides losing so many she couldn't count. She felt bad for her friend, having to live with those images.

"She still can't see that far." Remus whispered.

"You've seen her?"

"Yeah a couple weeks ago when the pack went to France for a few days. I snuck away and contacted her."

"How is she?"

"Good, thinking about coming back this way sometime next year, said something about not wanting to miss something. Wouldn't tell me what it was she didn't want to miss." He shrugged.

"She always was secretive when it came to the future." She sighed and leaned against her friend again, "I was also wondering about Sirius."

"Oh what were you wondering about?" He ran her braid through his hands.

She shrugged "Does he have someone waiting on him?"

Remus grinned "No, he hasn't been with anyone since before Azkaban. Why? Have you taken a liking to him?"

She shrugged again, "He's nice enough I guess."

"Sirius Black? I've heard him described as many things but I don't think nice was one of them."

"What do you want? I think he's handsome." She giggled.

"That's a more common description. He was quite the, I believe the word now is player, back in school."

Rhiannon started laughing hard at Remus using the slang she'd heard so often in the states.

"What? Is that not the right word?" He was teasing her; she could see it in his eyes.

"Yes. Yes it is but you're so proper it sounds funny coming from you."

"Well I am just trying to warn you. I love Sirius like a brother but he wasn't very good at relationships growing up."

"Who said anything about a relationship?" She asked growing serious.

Remus raised an eyebrow and ran his hand down her arm, rubbing his thumb over her covered tattoo. "Dumbledore told me. He said you wouldn't tell him who it was."

She sat up and turned to face her friend. She loved him, he had been her first and only love, if she had had a choice in the matter she would have bound herself to him but as it was she didn't. "Remus I can't tell who it is, not yet anyway. No one would understand." She covered his mouth with her hand when he opened it to speak and pushed her glasses up so he could see her eyes. "I don't even understand why they chose the man they did. But when it makes since I promise you will be the first one I tell." She cupped his cheek with her palm and put her forehead against his.

"Okay." He sighed before wrapping his arms around her. Sirius walked into the room and watched them a moment.

"I could come back if I'm interrupting." He growled sounding annoyed. They jerked away from each other. Rhiannon pushed her glasses back in place before turning to smile at Sirius. The smile died on her lips when she saw him. His hair hung in damp waves past his shoulders; he was freshly shaven showing a strong jaw and full lips. Her eyes fell to his bare chest. Tattoos covered a good portion between his shoulder and navel. She tried not to follow the trail of black hair from his navel to where it disappeared under the towel wrapped snuggly around his narrow hips. She wasn't at all sure what she'd expected from the ex-convict but a well toned body, with just enough muscle to make a woman drool was not it. She realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut.

"Rhi you okay?" Remus asked.

"I'd like to change my earlier comment to DAMN!"

He snorted and rolled his eyes, turning his attention to Sirius. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"I need to borrow some clothes." Sirius was watching her, she could feel his eyes on her even though she tried to turn her attention elsewhere.

"My clothes won't fit you Padfoot, you're taller than me. Why don't you transfigure something?"

She stared a hole through the wall next to Sirius, _Don't look don't look don't look…_ she chanted to herself but the man was perfect, she couldn't find anything wrong with him.

"I think my wand broke. I couldn't get it to work after I fell."

"Oh well I could transfigure something for you." Remus stood up.

"Your wand is fine Sirius; there is just no magic in the veil. It should work now." Rhiannon wasn't sure how she had been able to string that sentence together. She felt like an idiot school girl presented with her first crush. She grinned as he stepped towards her and picked his wand up off the coffee table where he'd dropped it. He waved it towards a cup, turning it into a small doll. "Wotcher look at that it does work. Thanks Rhi." He gave her a great smacking kiss in the cheek and rushed back down the hall. Rhiannon felt a bit bemused and smiled up at Remus. "DAMN."

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Sirius looked through the wardrobe in Remus's room trying to find something to transfigure. He sighed noticing his friend didn't have many clothes and what was there was worn to the point of falling apart. He hated that his friend couldn't keep a decent job just because of what he was. It wasn't his fault he had been bitten by a werewolf. Remus was the most intelligent man he knew but had to resort to the most menial jobs just to eat.

He couldn't bring himself to take anything from him, even to borrow. He wandered to the room across the hall, obviously Rhiannon's, it smelled like her, clean linens and something sweet that he didn't immediately recognize. He crossed to her wardrobe and opened it. There were jeans, T-shirts some long dresses with mandarin collars, most of it black or white. He flipped through all of it noticing her clothes were of fine quality but not expensive. There were no shorts he noticed or even short skirts a part of him wondered why. He paused, thinking about the woman. He'd noticed her mouth hanging open as she tried hard not to look at him and felt a rush of satisfaction. But she'd been in Remus's arms just a few seconds before, he liked the woman even though they'd just met but he didn't want to mess with Remus's girl.

"Can I help you?" He hadn't heard her approach the woman was quieter than Snape whisking about the halls.

"Just trying to find something to transfigure." He pulled out a man's t-shirt, "May I?"

She waved her hand and leaned against the door watching him, he assumed. He held up the shirt and tapped it with his wand turning it into a plain black button down.

Rhiannon crossed the room to the wardrobe and flipped through the clothes, choosing a pair of blue jeans that looked as worn as the pair she had on now. She looked at them a moment then at him and snapped her fingers before handing them to over. "Just make sure I get those back, they're my favorites." She moved just as silently back out of the room. He called her name, making her pause. "Why did you help me?"

She shrugged her shoulder, "Because you mean a lot to Remus."

"Oh, well thanks." He waited until he could hear her talking in the living room; more voices had joined hers and Remus's. He held up the jeans, they were more male now, the shape not as curvy as they had been. He pulled them on surprised at how well they fit. The shirt was next the soft cotton felt cool against his skin. Leaving the top couple buttons undone he wandered into the living room to find Harry and the others sitting expectantly waiting for him.

"Sirius!" Harry launched himself across the room.

"Harry, how are you?" Sirius hugged his godson tight.

"Better now. I thought you'd died."

"I know I'm sorry Harry, I should have stayed at home like I was told." He sat him away and looked the boy over. "I think you've grown a foot this month."

"Yeah been loading up for the summer." Harry laughed, but paused when Sirius frowned. "I understand why I have to stay with the Dursleys. At least this summer you'll be able to visit me. And I'm going to the Burrow a few times." He looked excited at his summer. That made Sirius feel a bit better, he still wanted Harry with him but if the teen wasn't upset then he could live with it.

"Come on you two, dinner is ready." Hermione called from the magically enlarged table that had been set in the room. Sirius didn't realize how hungry he was until his stomach growled at the delicious smell of spaghetti and warm bread. He looked around, Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom had joined them, along with a strange looking blonde with big eyes that was talking to Ron. He pulled out a chair between Rhiannon and Harry and immediately pulled a large bowl of spaghetti towards him.

"That's Luna Lovegood next to Ron." Rhiannon nodded at the blonde. Sirius nodded that he heard as he served Rhiannon before loading his own plate and passing the bowl on.

"I think I met her father once." He mumbled trying to remember.

"Hmm probably, you were an Auror before Azkaban weren't you?" She dropped a couple hot rolls on his plate.

"Yeah, that was a long time ago though." He filled her glass with Butterbeer.

"Luna's dad tends to get himself into trouble, nothing bad mind you, but some illegal animals and the like."

Sirius wondered quickly how she knew so much about people, but Harry drew his attention with a story about a Quidditch game him and Ron were involved in.

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Remus watched his friends as they ate; they were serving each other as if they had done this all their lives. He'd never seen Rhiannon eat so much. Every time Sirius filled her plate she cleared it. She saw him watching and grinned.

"Time stops in the veil, I haven't eaten for a couple days. Sirius hasn't eaten in over a month. It kind of hits you all at once. He'll keep eating all night if we let him." They watched Sirius pile more food on his plate.

"I miss this." Remus admitted looking around the table. The laughter of the teens, Sirius's deep chuckle and the sound of voices trying to talk over each other.

"Yeah me too. Meals at Hogwarts." She smiled around the room.

"Rhiannon, you got to settle this, who's worse, Snape or Filch?" Ginny raised her voice over the laughter. Remus choked on his drink and listened for her answer. Rhiannon seemed to think a moment, "Filch all the way." The girls all agreed with her.

"How did you come to that?" Sirius asked astonished.

"Because," She started ticking off reasons on her hand, "Snape doesn't smell like cat pee, his breath doesn't smell like rotten meat, Snape is intelligent if a right snarky bastard, and the biggest plus for him is he never tried to look down my top while hovering over my desk or up my skirt while I was going up the stairs." The girls once again agreed with her while the guys looked horrified. "Sorry boys, girls win this argument." She laughed.

"Did Filch really try to look up your skirt?" Remus leaned towards her as everyone went back to arguing.

"All the time, there is a reason most female students wear shorts under their uniforms." Remus shuddered finding a newfound disgust for the groundskeeper. A bell tolled out in the hall pulling everyone from their conversations.

"Okay kids, time to go back to your houses." Remus stood up using his best professor tone and waited for the groans to die down. Sirius stood up and hugged Harry again.

"We'll walk you down to the train tomorrow." He promised as the teens walked out waving.

Rhiannon waved her hand conjuring two bottles and three glasses. "Firewhisky for you two. Irish Cream for me."

"What is that?" Sirius grabbed her glass and sniffed it. "That's what your room smells like." He tasted it. "That's pretty good."

"Thanks." Rhiannon laughed. "I have some lotion and stuff that smells like it so you don't think I drink it all the time."

Remus grinned they got along pretty well. "When are you two leaving?"

They shrugged and looked at each other. "Tomorrow after the children maybe." Rhiannon suggested.

"Yeah it'd probably be easier considering Snivellus is going with us."

"Greasy Git, I wonder what Dumbledore was thinking making him stay with us."

Remus laughed "Probably that you two need an adult to watch you. Don't forget Dumbledore has known both of you most your lives."

"So why can't you stay with us?" She gave a flirty grin, "I could make it worth the while." Remus caught the scowl that passed over Sirius's face.

"Because I have to go back to the pack unfortunately."

Rhiannon sighed obviously not liking that idea. "Oh well. I'm going to bed." She leaned over and kissed Remus then smiled at Sirius. "Good night." The pair watched her disappear down the hall.

"I thought you said you were just friends." Sirius growled.

"We are. Rhi and I are close."

"How close is what I'm wondering."

Remus rolled his eyes, "Shut up and have another drink Padfoot."


	13. Grimmuald Place and all that entails

Disclaimer- the Potterverse and all the gorgeous men in it belong to JKR, I just like to play a little.

Chapter 13

Grimmuald Place and all that it entails.

The morning had passed quickly, hugs and promises to visit and write had been exchanged even a few tears. Remus had smiled sadly as he hugged her whispering a promise to visit in her ear. They had waited for Snape before appariting to a small park in London and walking to the hidden number twelve Grimmuald Place.

Rhiannon looked around in surprise; the place was… she didn't have the words to describe what the house looked like.

"I believe it's gotten worse." Snape mumbled staring at the spider webs covering the windows. "I'm going to find a room." They listened to his footsteps as he went up the stairs. He was pissed that Dumbledore had held to his orders. Although how one could tell pissed Snape from regular Snape was anyone's guess.

"You actually live here?" Rhiannon asked after blowing the top layer of dust off a table.

Sirius sighed "I suppose you could call it living. I tend to think of it as moving from one prison to another." That was defiantly understandable.

She looked into one of the rooms off the hall, "Are those house elves?" She pointed to a row of disembodied heads. Who the hell hangs elf heads on their wall?

"Yes, we tried to get them down but…" He waved at them absently.

"They're hideous." She waved her hand at them, there was a loud crack and they all fell to the ground, dust filling the room and making her sneeze.

"Hey how'd you do that?" He walked over and picked one up amazed that they'd just fallen down. She just shrugged and turned to go up the stairs.

"What room is mine?" She yelled back from one flight up. The screeching started in an instant making Rhiannon clamp her hands over her ears and duck. The thud of footsteps could hardly be heard over the horrible noise.

"What the hell, who woke her up?" Snape yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Shut up you bloody hag!" Sirius was yelling from her right while fighting with an old curtain and losing.

"Muggle lovers! How dare you allow such filth into my home! You are no son of mine! I should have drowned you at birth." The voice was screaming.

"I said shut up!" The curtain snapped shut silencing the screaming.

"What was that?" Rhiannon whispered when Sirius crouched down beside her.

"That was me mum." He hissed looking at the ratty curtain. "Kind of forgot to tell you not to yell in the hall, or walk too loudly."

"Let me guess wouldn't come down either?" She stepped carefully around it.

"Nope, care to try what you did with the House elves?" He looked hopeful.

She looked at the curtain and waved her hand mumbling the same spell, nothing happened. She repeated it a couple times still nothing happened.

"For Merlin's sake don't wake her back up." Snape hissed from above them.

"Oh go pout in your room Severus." She snapped. His attitude was getting on her nerves.

Snape glared at her but moved back down the hall.

"How do you get him to do that?" Sirius asked.

"Practice."

They walked down a long dingy hall; the carpet was so worn she could see the bare floor underneath. There were large windows in each of the rooms they passed, but the glass was so caked in dust and grime that very little light filtered in. She walked into a room near the end of the hall, the large windows were covered by ratty mud colored curtains that hung haphazardly from ugly metal poles with what looked like shrunken heads on the ends. She rubbed the dirt from part of the window and looked around. They were shrunken heads. She looked around, the walls may have been painted green at one time but most of it had peeled off. The bed curtains had also been green before most of them had turned gray and something had chewed large holes through them. The only other piece of furniture was a small table, missing a leg and the front of the drawer.

"This was supposed to be the nursery when my brother and I were born, but my mother didn't want to be disturbed by crying in the middle of the night. My father used the room after my brother was born, I don't know that he and mother ever shared bed after that." Sirius moved the table warily. "We found a lot of creepy crawlies in the other rooms; looks like this one remained mostly untouched."

"Is that the backyard?" she asked looking down onto a surprisingly green stretch of grass and colorful flowers. A small pond reflected the light from the afternoon sun.

"Yeah, the kids planted it when they were here last summer. The Wesley's wanted part of the burrow here; I think they thought I'd be more comfortable if I had something nice to look at when they were gone." He was gazing out over her shoulder. She liked his scent, it was warm and comforting. She recognized the cologne he wore, it made her blood rush and her cheeks flush, but she couldn't remember the name of it. Or maybe it was his natural scent underneath it something dark and heady. He was still wearing the borrowed shirt and jeans, the shirt opened halfway down his chest, showing off his tattoos. She had the sudden desire to trace them with her fingertips, see just how mush of his body was covered with the intricate little drawings. She shook her head trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. What the hell? It wouldn't do to get involved with him, after things had calmed down again she'd go back to the states. Maybe she'd get a cat or two, or ten and become the crazy cat lady and live in a little house in a quiet neighborhood all alone. Her wrist started burning. Apparently the Elders didn't like that idea; she rubbed gently at the tattoo under her sleeve.

Sirius's thoughts were following much the same path as Rhiannon's but neither knew it. His fingers itched to play with her braid the same way Remus had last night. The Honey color was intriguing; he could see lighter streaks on top, and some darker strands woven through the long braid. He wondered what it would be like to have those tresses loose and spread across his pillow. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with her scent. She smelled like linens and Irish Cream again. He'd seen her sipping at a large coffee cup this morning the contents smelling strangely like the whisky she'd drank after dinner. Remus had whispered that she was pretty much useless before her first cup of the heavily sugared brew.

He turned his attention to her body. Rhiannon was standing in front of him, not a breath away, she barely reached his shoulder with healed boots, he liked that she was so small. She was rubbing absently at her wrist; he'd noticed her do that repeatedly both last night and this morning, had wondered what was wrong with it. "You okay?" He asked smiling when she shivered.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She tugged on the sleeve of her black jumper. It was cut low in the front giving his a nice view of her ample chest. Her jeans were once again well worn, with holes torn in both knees and a large slice across the back of one of her legs giving him just a glimpse of creamy thigh. He could see the dark lines of a tattoo where the hem of her jumper didn't meet her pants and desperately wanted to know what it was of. With out warning she turned around, bumping into him.

"Oh sorry." She smiled softly; her cheeks were rosy making him wonder what she had been thinking.

"That's okay. Why do you wear those glasses?"

She shrugged, "Most people find my eyes a bit creepy so I prefer to keep them hidden."

He gently pushed the glasses up and gasped. Her eyes were strange, almost white but still blue. He loved them they were so unique. "They're…" He searched for the right word.

"I know, creepy." She was looking at his chin.

"No beautiful, intense, I don't know but not creepy."

She grinned softly; he couldn't stop himself from kissing her. Just a quick brush of his lips over hers. They were so soft, like flower petals. He felt something spark, racing along his skin and through his blood. What was that? That had never happened before. He wondered if she had felt it too, almost like when you drag your feet across the carpet and touch a door knob. He glanced down quickly making sure they were both still wearing shoes. They were. That was interesting. What the hell did that mean?

"I'm going to go…" He pointed in the general direction of the door and rushed out.

"She's your best friend's girl… She's your best friend's girl… She's your best friend's girl…" He repeated over and over as he paced his bedroom just next door to hers.

"What the hell was he going to do?"

Rhiannon could hear him pacing and mumbling to himself and guessed his room was probably next door. She touched her lips; she had felt the spark also. Even read the confusion in his eyes. Such deep eyes, so gray they reminded her of a winter sky right before it snows.

He hadn't found her eyes creepy, only Remus had ever told her they were beautiful before. Her parents and Athena didn't count; they had to say nice things about her. She smiled, wanting to talk to her old friend. Athena had always understood what she was feeling better than she herself did. She rubbed her wrist as she debated about sending her friend an owl. The pain increased until she tugged up her sleeve and glared at the tattoo, some of the lines had moved. "Is this your idea of a joke?" She glared at the ceiling. "Of course it is."

She looked around the room, it was depressing. The windows would have to be the first thing cleaned. "Scourgify!" She held her hand out to the window, light quickly flooded the room showing just how dismal it was. The dust motes danced in the sunbeams making her sneeze violently. How could anyone live here? She wondered.

It took the better part of an hour to get the room clean enough that she stopped sneezing. The carpet, or what was left of it, was rolled up neatly in the corner. The hardwood floors underneath were beautiful and light. She'd yanked down the curtains from the windows and the bed falling hard on her bum as she did so. Then the bed she transfigured into something a whole lot sturdier with a bright yellow spread. The walls were now lilac with a border of heather. She pulled out everything she'd brought from her tiny apartment in the states. Her dressing table, a comfy arm chair, her mother's full length mirror, a bookcase full of books, blankets, a couple pictures of her parents, Remus and Athena and all her clothes were put quickly away. With a final snap of her fingers the pile of carpet and drapes disappeared.

She sat down a moment feeling rather grimy, her clothes were dust covered and a new hole had been torn into her jeans. She grabbed some clothes and wandered out to find the bathroom. Maybe a cold shower would erase the feel of Sirius's lips from her mind.

Snape paced his own room on the top floor of Grimmuald Place. What the hell was he going to do stuck in a house with those two? They were the most irritating people he knew, at least on the side of good. What had Dumbledore been thinking, if he believed they needed adult supervision the old fool could damn well do it himself.

Snape sighed and dropped down into his battered leather chair. Just as Rhiannon had he'd spent a good amount of time cleaning up his room. It was now a smaller replica of his chambers at Hogwarts.

Rhiannon fascinated him, in a way that he was sure she knew about but purposefully ignored. She was pretty, in a creepy morbid sort of way, and she was intelligent. At least he'd be entertained during his time here. He pulled out a book and settled into read, hoping to be left alone.

Dinner was an interesting affair, each fending for their selves as there were very few groceries in the house. Rhiannon had started a shopping list and left it on the counter with a note to her new housemates telling them to write what they needed and leave enough money to cover their requests. The list was quiet lengthy by the next morning. She laughed both men had left a small bag of coins next to the list for her.

She was the first one up, and the best produce was usually grabbed up first so she decided that shopping would be her job in their little arrangement. She walked to the market a few blocks away and bought everything on the list plus a few extras. With the groceries shrunk and loaded into one small bag she wandered down a few of the side streets on her way back to the house. It was still early, only a few business men were walking quickly towards the subway. The sun was burning away the last of the morning fog, the trees filling with the call of birds and small animals. Rhiannon had always found mornings the most peaceful, preferring to wonder the grounds at Hogwarts and later the back allies and bayous of Houston, where she'd finally settled in the states. She'd loved muggle Texas, the sights, the sounds, even the early morning smells. She'd lived down the street from a little family restaurant that made Empanadas every morning and tamales in the afternoons. She'd loved waking up to the sweet smell of bread baking and found she missed it. It was a peaceful walk back, she was confident no one would recognize her as she'd used a subtle glamour. Her hair appeared shorter and darker. Her bust and hips smaller. She expected someone would be looking for her and hoped she'd spot a spy for Lucius. Her optimism paid off when she wandered a bit closer to Kings Cross. A rather large dimwitted man in a business suit was watching the station from a news stand across the street. He kept fidgeting with something shoved up his sleeve and drawing strange looks from the few passengers that spotted him. Moving closer but keeping her head down as though reading a magazine on the stands she read his mind, a low level death eater sent to stake out the station. So they were looking for her, but the man didn't know what Lucius wanted her for, only that she was important and worth a lot of galleons. She messed with his memory, sifting through his thoughts and giving him an image of her getting on a train to Wales. He'd looked confused for a few seconds before slipping into an ally and appariting. Rhiannon smiled at the merchant running the stand and paid for two magazines before turning quickly back to Grimmuald Place. It was barely eight when she let herself back in the kitchen; she could hear footsteps above her and guessed the guys were getting up. After putting away the groceries she pulled out a few large pans, and bowls, might as well cook some breakfast.

Sirius stumbled down the stairs; he was defiantly not a morning person. Never had been probably never would be. The delicious smell of coffee met him in the hall, followed by the smell of bacon frying. For a second a rather amusing image of Snape wearing a pink frilly apron floated through his mind, making him grin and gag simultaneously. Rhiannon's door had been shut and warded when he tried it, probably still asleep and freaked out by him kissing her. He sighed what the hell had he been thinking? She was Remus's girl and they obviously loved each other. But she was so damn beautiful, not in the shiny superficial way. She was more natural, like the girl next door that you don't expect but there she is wreaking havoc with your senses. He sighed "she's your best friend's girl…" He started his new mantra over again. He entered the kitchen and caught the mug of coffee that floated his way.

"Thanks." He muttered studying Rhiannon as she expertly flipped some eggs into the air.

"How do you like your eggs?" She glanced over her shoulder at him; he noticed her glasses were pushed up on top of her head instead of covering her eyes.

"Um, over medium I guess."

She nodded and sat the pan down a few seconds before sliding the eggs onto a plate with hash browns and bacon then sending it floating across the room to him.

"Wow you didn't have to do this, where'd you get the stuff for it anyway?" He slid into a chair and watched as she cracked more eggs and waved a hand at the coffee pot. Another mug hovered in the air a moment before drifting towards the door as Snape walked in. Sirius glared at the two, damn morning people, up and dressed when the sun had just come up.

"The sun was up hours ago and I went to the market." Rhiannon did her thing with the eggs and sent the plate to Snape. He noticed she hadn't asked how he took his eggs.

"Sunny side up, my favorite." The greasy git grinned. How had she known that, Sirius glared.

"I thought we'd all go to the market later." He pushed the annoyed feeling away and dug in to his plate. The potatoes were crispy with something a bit spicy mixed in them. He'd never tasted anything like it before and said so as Rhiannon sat next to him.

"It's a secret." She grinned.

"You keep answering questions when I know I'm not saying anything."

Snape snorted almost choking himself on a bite. Rhiannon smirked at him and sent a spell across to pound his back. As soon as he calmed down she answered Sirius's unasked question.

"I can read your mind I suppose. Not all the time but…" She shrugged turning her attention to her plate clearing it quickly.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Snape had cleared his plate and was using his wand to fill their coffee cups. Sirius watched Rhiannon pour cream and sugar into hers, the cream is what made it smell like her whisky.

"I can cook more than eggs and hash browns." She smirked, "I learned in the states, after I left London I bounced around the U.S. for a while working in kitchens. Finally about three years ago I ended up in Houston Texas. Worked in a kitchen in some upscale hotel until Dumbledore called me back here."

"They taught you to cook like this?" Sirius shoved another forkful in his mouth.

"Yeah."

"How was the market?" Snape stirred sugar into his cup.

"Nice, got everything on the list. Your change is in your bags. She nodded at the small bags hanging from a shelf by the door. "There was a death eater near Kings Cross."

Snape looked startled but Sirius reacted first.

"That's just a few blocks from here. You could have been caught. You aren't going out alone anymore." He wasn't sure why he'd just snapped at her and by the strange looks they were both giving him neither did they.

"I wasn't planning on wandering around all the time Sirius." She stood up "I cooked you two wash the dishes."

Sirius watched her walk up the stairs.

"Lost your touch with the ladies mutt?" Snape smirked at him.

"Shut the hell up Snivellus." Sirius pointed his wand at the dishes and muttered "Scourgify" then stomped up the stair to his own room.


	14. A truce, gruesome memories and a murder…

Disclaimer: still don't own them…

A/N thanks for the reviews!!! I'm so sorry this took so long, please forgive me but apparently my computer is trying its damnedest to die or something. I promise not to take so long in the future even if I have to commandeer my sweet old nana's computer to do it. (Not like she should be using it anyway… too many things nana's shouldn't know on the internet) ha ha

Chapter 14

A truce, gruesome memories and a murder…

The next two weeks went by peacefully, with the exception of meals and a few hours after dinner the residents of number 12 Grimmuald Place stayed to their own rooms. Rhiannon typically cooked while the guys cleaned up. After dinner they would either read or more often spend a few hours arguing amongst them selves, Rhiannon and Sirius taking turns against Snape on everything from potions and school to muggle literature and movies. Rhiannon was pleasantly surprised to find Sirius knew a lot about the muggle world, she'd figured him for more of a pureblood recluse. Snape she had expected it from as he valued knowledge and had been raised in the muggle world. Rhiannon disappeared for hours sometimes, leaving a note pinned to her door in her loopy girlish scrawl.

"Gone, soul… Be back soon. Rhi."

Sirius was always nervous till she returned, usually tired and hungry, she was his responsibility after all. He had woken up earlier than usual on a Thursday nearing the end of June, hoping to help Rhiannon with breakfast only to find her usual note stuck to her door. Breakfast was in the oven still warm and Snape was sitting at the table alone.

"How long has she been gone?" Sirius asked as he entered the room.

"Couple hours." Snape stirred sugar into his coffee. Sirius put his plate on the table and started eating. He and Snape had never been alone for more than a few minutes. They had found long ago that they really had very little tolerance for each other. But Sirius was uncomfortable with silence, a trait he figured came from spending most of his life with no one to talk to.

"How are things on the outside?" He asked expecting one of the usual comments about Snape having to do all the work. He was surprised though when Snape looked at him a moment then hissed.

"Lucius is pissed that he can't summon Rhiannon. My excuses are running out, soon he will go to Voldemort and tell him about her. Then…" the dark wizard shrugged looking tired and worried.

"I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't dislike her, she just…" Snape shrugged, "what does it matter to you?"

Sirius thought a moment, "I don't guess it really does." He was lonely he admitted to himself, Remus was busy, James was dead, Harry had to spend the summer at the Dursleys. Even Rhiannon was busy and wouldn't talk to him much. Although if he was honest he spent more time avoiding her than trying to start a conversation. She was just too tempting and he didn't want to lose Remus as a friend, something he was sure would happen. He'd spent much of the last two weeks thinking, he didn't have many friends and he found himself lonely. The evenings spent arguing with Snape reminded him somewhat of the times with James and Lily, just hanging out and talking. And to be honest, something he was trying very hard to do with himself now, the bastard wasn't half bad, just grumpy. "I just thought we could sort of put the past behind us and be…civil."

Snape regarded him a moment, indecision warring in his eyes.

"She makes me uncomfortable." He said in way of acceptance of the proposed truce.

"Rhiannon make's you uncomfortable? You're the bat of the Dungeons, the most feared teacher at Hogwarts, and that little slip of a woman makes you uncomfortable?" Sirius was amazed; Snape had always seemed above those kinds of things.

"Not so much her but what she has seen."

Sirius was confused now and said so.

The dark wizard sighed "When she was in her Third year I caught her roaming the halls in the middle of the night. At least that was what I believed; when I asked her what she was doing she refused to tell me." Snape glared into his coffee cup a moment then shook his head and pulled out his wand, "Accio pensive." A small stone basin flew into the room a moment later. Snape pointed his wand at his temple and pulled the gossamer threads of a memory out, pouring them into the stone. "Here, this will be easier than trying to explain what I saw." Snape waited until Sirius started to put his fingers in the memory before he followed.

Sirius felt himself lift out of his chair and fall, landing easily in the dark hall near the Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts. Snape looked younger as he lit his wand tip, illuminating a tiny girl. Sirius snorted, the girl was barely four feet tall, and she looked too young to be at Hogwarts let alone in her third year.

"Miss Hades, what are you doing out of bed at this hour?" The younger Snape asked her. Rhiannon looked up at him her eyes reflecting the small amount of light making them flicker.

"Nothing Sir just went to the lavatory." Snape glanced down at the hem of her pure white robes; they were soaked in something dark. Sirius good smell the metallic sent of blood, so strong even in the memory. She was obviously lying as she worried her bottom lip. Her hair was short, Sirius noticed, brushing her chin and falling in front of her eyes.

"And what is that you're trailing all over the halls?" Snape indicated the footprints and lines leading up the hall to where she stood. The child opened her mouth but no sound came out so she snapped it closed again shrugging instead and turning her attention to Snape's shoes.

"Look at me." He waited for her to comply then muttered "Legilimens"

The older Snape shuddered as the image around them changed. There was a library, Sirius didn't recognize it but was smart enough to know it was a private study. Plush white carpet covered the floor, gleaming tables and expensive furniture cluttered the room, surrounded by books in huge dark cases. A large mahogany desk took up one wall; the chair was pushed over to the fireplace blocking the light from the rest of the room. The smell of leather and polish hung in the air almost over ridden by the heavy scent of blood. Sirius stepped forward, noticing Snape hung back. He looked over the back of the chair to see a young witch strapped to a small table. She had no clothes on; her hair was matted with blood, while her eyes were a lifeless grey that had probably been blue at some point. Sirius shuddered, there were long thin cuts running across her stomach and thighs, smaller ones on her breasts and face. She'd obviously been raped repeatedly and was now being left to die. Her face was pale, tear tracks cutting clean paths into her hair; she shuddered with pain as sobs racked her small tortured body. "Just a bit longer I promise." A sweet young voice whispered, and Rhiannon appeared next to her. "My mum used to sing to me when I was afraid, would you like me to?" She grabbed the woman's hand, jerked a second then held still. Sirius watched the memory in horror, such a small child seeing all this.

"I see a bad moon arising…" She sang softly, the witch had stopped crying and hummed softly along with the girl. Sirius jumped when the heavy door behind him swung open banging hard against the wall. His first instinct was to step between the dying woman and whomever was entering the room "Ahh I see you're still alive. Glad I wasn't too late." Lucius Malfoy smiled down at the woman, not seeing Rhiannon grasping the dying witches hand tightly, smearing the other woman's blood on herself. Lucius sat down in the chair, the leather squeaking slightly in the near silent room. He watched her, a small smile on his face as she took her last shuddering breath. Rhiannon stood up, holding out a tiny green bottle as a flash of light jumped from the now dead witch's chest, hung in the air a moment before dropping into the outstreatched bottle. She tightly stoppered the top and tucked it safely into her robes.

"I know you're here little guardian. I set this up just for you. How do you like it?" He chuckled at his own 'gift' "You know your mother died in much the same way. She wasn't as much fun as this one, didn't scream at all." Lucius had his eyes closed, a sick little smirk on his lips. Sirius itched to kick his ass, what kind of sick bastard tormented a kid this way? He looked again at the body and gagged, oh that kind.

"You're father on the other hand begged. Begged for his wife, pleaded that I not do anything to her. But how couldn't I when she refused to bring the Dark Lord back? Stupid bitch, all she had to do is bring him back and you'd still have your mummy and daddy." He mocked the sound of a child's whine. "It's entirely their fault you are an orphan now." He dipped his fingers in the blood that was pouring off the table to pool on the floor, and stuck his finger tips in his mouth. "So sweet the blood of the innocent." He stood up and moved to the door, bellowing for someone to clean up the mess in the library. Before the door closed he called back "I do hope you prove to be more useful than your mother was."

Sirius turned to see Rhiannon pat the pocket of her robe and whisper "You're safe now, he can't hurt you anymore." Before disappearing with a barely audible pop.

The memory shifted, they were back in the dark hall, Snape was slightly green now. His dark eyes showing the horror of what he'd seen. Rhiannon was looking up at him her eyes flickering madly with unshed tears. "I was just going to the lavatory." She patted her pocket again. Snape refused to look at her instead fixing his gaze somewhere over her shoulder.

"Go to your room. Don't let me catch you outside of your tower with out permission again." He watched her scramble back in the portrait and waited till it swung closed behind her. As he turned he mumbled "Scourgify." Pointing his wand at the bloody trail left by Rhiannon's robes.

Sirius felt himself jerk backwards and land in his chair. Snape looked just as sick as he had in the hall.

"What the hell was that?" Sirius growled pissed at the images that were now burned into his memory. He couldn't get the smell of blood out of his mind or how pitiful the dead witch had looked grasping the hand of a child.

"That is why I don't look her in the eyes if I can avoid it. I've had to do things…" Snape paused a moment, "Things that made me so sick I wanted to die, it killed me inside to know that she had to see what I had done. I couldn't bring myself to look at a student, someone whose care I was entrusted with, who counted on me to protect them, and see those things played back in their eyes."

Sirius stared at his one time enemy for a long moment, feeling none of the old hatred or animosity for him. "Have you ever done something like that to a woman?"

Snape shook his head, his greasy hair covering his eyes. "Never, but I have been forced to…' He waved his hand unwilling to say the words.

Sirius nodded understanding. "What happened to them? The ones who weren't killed?"

Snape snorted, "There weren't many, the Dark Lord doesn't like to leave witnesses to his atrocities, nor do his followers but the few, very few, that have survived, I obliviated them. No one should have to live with memories like that. Except the ones who did it."

The pair remained silent for a while, stuck in the past and their own memories.

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Rhiannon was just finishing breakfast when she'd felt the unmistakable pull on her soul that signaled the passing of a witch or wizard. It was like that first hill on a rollercoaster when your stomach flops all around inside and your heart jumps. She'd grown used to it now, able to control the shaking in her hands and her breathing better than when she'd been a child. It was early, barely six but she'd been up for hours unable to sleep the last two weeks, wondering why Sirius had kissed her then retreated completely in to some kind of shell, only coming out when they were eating or talking to Snape. Maybe he was gay… She shook her head, "if he was gay then he wouldn't have kissed you in the first place."

Then what the hell was wrong with her? She put the fresh biscuits and gravy on plates and put them in the oven. Snape would be up in a few minutes and Sirius maybe an hour later. She waved her hand and caught her robes as they flew down the stairs to her. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She didn't apparate exactly, because that required knowing where you were going, she just went. Disappearing and reappearing where she wanted or needed.

She recognized the room immediately when she opened her eyes. It was a place she'd been often since becoming a guardian. The carpet was a different color but still just as thick and expensive, as was the furniture, expensive but sleeker than before. Malfoy manor had changed very little over the years she felt her shoulders droop. Lucius had finally remembered out how to get her to show up. Death.

A small wizard was huddled in the coroner of the room, lying in a puddle of his own blood. Only the top of his gray head was visible over his robes. She pulled them down and smiled sadly at the man. He was old enough to be her father, green eyes searched hers, seeming to recognize what was happening.

"It's going to be alright." She sat down next to him ignoring the warm liquid seeping into her clothes. "My mum used to sing to me when I was afraid, would you like me to sing to you?" She took the man's frail hand and felt his pain. She hissed slightly, and drew the pain into herself leaving him feeling warm and weightless until he died. She looked at the wizard, smoothing his hair like a mother comforting a child and sang the same song she always did. It was the last one she'd heard her mother singing before she'd died. "I see a bad moon arising, I see trouble on the way…"

"I can hear the little guardian." Bellatrix sang from the other side of the door.

Rhiannon hissed how could the bitch hear her? Only the dying could see her in these robes, they were the robes of death. She shifted uncomfortably, murmuring a disillusionment charm over herself for good measure. The heavy door was flung open, hitting the book case behind it with a resounding thud.

"Where are you little guardian?" Lucius Malfoy hissed she could feel his gaze for a moment. She gripped the dying man's hand tighter, hoping they wouldn't torture him anymore. The wizard was softly humming even though she'd stopped singing.

"You're still singing that silly muggle song to the dying? How childish." Lucius laughed.

Rhiannon glared at him, but didn't say a word. Obviously Bellatrix could hear her and she didn't want to give up her position just yet. The wizard started moaning, the pain getting worse even though she was now taking the brunt of it.

"Oh do shut up you miserable old fool." Lucius raised his wand, "Avada kedarva."

The room glowed green a moment, when the light died Rhiannon stoperd her small bottle and tucked it into her robes. She looked at her long time enemy, the man was an evil son of a bitch, who'd sell his own son for a bit of power. He'd tortured her parents, left her and countless others orphans at young ages, and delighted in every moment of it.

"It took you long enough to get to me." She stayed disillusioned knowing he could hear her now.

"I was merely exploring other avenues. Finding new toys is getting more and more difficult you know. The ministry is keeping such a close watch over every little disappearance." He raised his wand and sent a spell in the general direction of her voice. Rhiannon jumped when the bookcase behind her fell over, the top half landing on the body of the wizard.

"Maybe you should try leaving me alone." She stalked him, walking a quiet circle around the pale wizard. She wondered how someone that personified light, the platinum hair, pale skin and glittering eyes, could be so dark. She stepped out of the way of another cutting spell.

"Oh I couldn't do that. The dark lord wants you too bad now. Besides, he says that as long as you do his bidding, I can keep you as my own little pet." He sounded like she should be grateful.

"Nah that's okay Lucius. I'd rather die than become the pet of a sick bastard like you. You know there is a special place waiting for when you die. I just hope I'm the one that gets to take you there." She knew he was getting mad, his spells were flying around the room with none of the careful aim he'd been taking before. Books were falling off shelves that no longer stood up, the occupants of paintings were running about to keep from being sliced in two. Rhiannon paused a moment when Lucius turned away from her, anger making his face contort and turn red. He threw a curse where she'd been just a second ago, instead of it cutting into the wall it hit a mirror above the fireplace and bounced back. Lucius' scream of outrage drowned out Rhiannon's scream as the curse cut a deep line in his cheek and another larger one into Rhiannon's arm.

"You fucking bitch, look what you did!" He bellowed wiping blood from his face.

"What I did? You're the one that threw that curse." She hissed and yelled "stupify." Before leaving Malfoy manor silently.

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Sirius and Snape were well into a conversation about Quidditch when Rhiannon stomped into the kitchen. Sirius was surprised, her sleeve was torn and blood dripped down her arm. She didn't seem to notice as she growled her greeting and slammed open the cabinet that held the liquor. He wondered quickly what had happened that had her so angry.

"Are you okay?" He asked watching her take a strange bottle he'd never seen from the lower shelf.

"Fine." She studied the amber liquid inside for a moment then twisted the top off.

"You need some help with your arm?" Snape looked at Sirius and shrugged at his unasked question.

"No." She swallowed a good portion of the bottle with a hiss before setting it on the table and dropping into a chair. Sirius recognized someone on their way to getting good and pissed, it was still quiet early but Rhiannon was doing exactly that. He pulled out his wand and floated three glasses and a bottle of Firewhisky over to the table. She obviously didn't want to talk so he would wait till she was pissed enough to tell them what happened.

"Got any plans Snivellus?"

"None what so ever Mutt." Snape took the glass with a smirk of understanding, "What about you Miss Hades?" He used his most authoritive professor tone making Sirius grin.

Rhiannon glared for a moment obviously caught up in her own anger.

"Look it's barely noon and if you drink alone most people would say you have a problem… but if you drink with two… rather one very straight laced adult and one devilishly handsome rogue…" Sirius winked at her

"It's a strategy session." Snape smirked. Rhiannon glared a moment more before laughing.

"All right… but it's going to take more than two bottles to get me to tell you two what happened.

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A/N the song Rhiannon sings is "bad moon a rising" by Credence Clearwater Revival, it's a great song. I think given world events at the time when most of the older HP characters were young, it would have found it's way to Britain quiet easily.


	15. Confessions and meeting the Dark Lord

-1Disclaimer: oh if I owned the sexy boys of the Potterverse, but alas… I do not:..(

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A/N Okay like I said in the last chapter my computer is a bit dodgy right now. I hope it keeps living for a bit longer.

Yeah so my computer crashed, and I have taken over my sweet old nana's computer.

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Chapter 15

"Okay, okay." Snape filled the three shot glasses again, making sure Rhiannon's was fuller than either his or Sirius's. "Who ever loses this time has to…" The normally stoic wizard glared, his obsidian eyes glassy. Sirius wasn't much better, he kept listing to one side and humming some idiotic tune about a woman named Janet. Rhiannon defiantly faired the best out of the three. She sat comfortably, one arm thrown over the back of her chair and the opposite foot tucked under her, smirking at the two men. The sun had started it's decent, lengthening the shadows in the kitchen but no one seemed to notice. Plates from a haphazardly made lunch were strewn between empty bottles and sewing supplies from stitching Rhiannon's arm when magic didn't work to heal it. Snape glared at Rhiannon's bottle and wondered again if there was really any liquor in it.

"Okay, loser has to do doubles of whatever Rhiannon is drinking." He slurred just a bit.

Sirius shook his head, "What if Rhi losses?"

"Then she has to do three shots." Snape rolled his eyes, Rhiannon just smirked.

"That doesn't seem fair…"

"So what, just flip your card." They each flipped the top card on the stack of playing cards in front of them.

"Ace of clubs!!!" Snape grinned happily.

"Damn, Queen of Diamonds." Sirius shook his head.

"Oh Queen of hearts." Rhiannon waved her card at them.

"You could be the queen of my heart anytime." Sirius grinned at her drunkenly.

Rhiannon raised a brow, "Back off lover boy, or I'll make you my bitch."

"Oh promises promises." he sang happily, his dark hair covering his eyes.

"A tie..." Snape glared at the cards, "Okay, Rhiannon does doubles of Sirius's and Mutt, you do doubles of hers." He conjured two more shot glasses and filled them. Rhiannon smiled and picked up her first glass of fire whisky. With a quick salute at the men she downed it, grimacing at the burn. She slammed the glass down.

"Now you Siri." She handed him a glass full of amber liquid. It smelled awful Sirius noted, like burnt wood and rubbing alcohol. He didn't have a good feeling about anything that smelled like that.

"What the hell is this?" He demanded still sniffing cautiously at it.

"Mezcal." Rhiannon grinned "Come on drink up."

He looked at her, gave a sexy little wink and tipped the glass back, pouring the contents down his throat. He immediately started coughing and gagging. Tears poured down his cheeks as he struggled to tame the burning feeling spreading through his stomach. He felt like his insides were on fire and fought hard against the need to throw up.

"What the hell is that stuff." He hissed pointing at the bottle when he could speak again. Rhiannon was giggling openly now and Snape looked a bit worried.

"Its called Mezcal. It's a popular drink where I moved to; at least it was around my friends. Takes some getting used to I suppose." She tossed back his other shot, ignoring the glare he leveled on her.

"If she's drinking that stuff as easily as she looks like she is," He paused sorting out his own sentence before continuing "We're never going to out drink her." He looked miserable at the thought. He'd never been out drank by a woman.

Rhiannon sighed, filled her glass again and looked at the two men. "I'm sitting here with the bastard bat of the dungeons, and his worst enemy, pissed in the middle of the afternoon. If I can't confess now when can I?" She stared at her full glass as if it held all the answers in the world.

"Confess what Rhi?" Sirius asked.

"I killed someone."

Snape and Sirius grew silent. They didn't know what to say to her now. Of all the things she could have said this wasn't what they were expecting. They looked at each other and thought the same thing, can a guardian kill someone?

"You killed someone?" Sirius asked feeling himself sober quickly.

"I might as well have. It's my fault the wizard is dead." She emptied her glass and filled it again. "Lucius remembered the easiest way to summon me is to kill someone. So I might as well have killed him."

"Lucius is the one that cut open your arm." Snape glared at her. "How did he know you were there, you're supposed to be protected when you're guarding a soul."

"Don't you think I know that? I don't know what happened. Fucking Bellatrix could hear me talking to the man as he died. She's not supposed to hear me, but she could." Rhiannon glared back, "Then Lucius waltzed in and started throwing around curses. Got lucky with this one." She rubbed at her arm.

Snape hung his head, "I thought we'd have a little longer but I guess not."

"What are you going to do?" Sirius asked. "You can't keep walking into a trap."

Rhiannon looked at him a long moment. His eyes glinted silver with anger and his lips were set in a firm frown that she wanted nothing more than to kiss away. Scowling in response to her won errant thought she answered.

"I don't know right now, I'll have to think about it." She sat down her drink.

"The Order is meeting Saturday night. Perhaps you should bring it up then." Snape suggested.

"Yeah sure I guess." Rhiannon flipped the card on top of her stack. "Ace of spades… how fitting." She tossed the card onto the table. "I believe I've had enough for one day." She stood up, a big mistake as all the alcohol hit her at one. The room spun madly and the floor seemed to rise up and fall away quickly. She let out a panicked giggle and grasped for her chair.

"Whoa there." Sirius grasped drunkenly for her only to move the chair and send both of them tumbling to the floor in a mess of arms and legs. Rhiannon landed hard on her back, opening her eyes only to find Sirius's shinning gray ones staring back at her. She had the sudden thought of a dog before he dipped his head to capture her lips.

He nibbled at her bottom lip until she gasped then slipped his tongue in to taste her. Her mouth was sweet, the smoky flavor of the Mezcal clung to her. She had just started kissing him back when a strange sound pulled them apart. They both jerked up, Sirius pulling his wand unsure of what the were hearing, a low rumble filled the room. It took them a moment to realize the sound was Snape laughing.

"Holy shit," She scoffed, "He laughs."

"You two are menaces." He was still laughing.

"Wow, I've never heard anything like it." Sirius started laughing too, making Rhiannon giggle herself. She was amazed, here she was dead drunk, on the floor of the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon, laughing with Severus Snape and the infamous Sirius Black. Could things get any stranger?

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It was Saturday morning as the trio were getting ready to go to the Burrow for lunch and the order meeting when all hell broke loose. They were sitting together drinking coffee and discussing something they'd read in the Daily Prophet when Snape growled obviously in pain.

"The Dark Lord. I have to go." He stood up quickly and crossed to the floo.

"Be careful." Rhiannon called watching him.

They heard him call out for Spinner's End in the other room.

"I wonder how he does it." Sirius still stared at the door.

"Years of practice." Rhiannon gathered up the dishes from breakfast, "Come on I'll wash you dry." She threw a dish cloth at him.

They washed the dishes in companionable silence, both remembering the kiss they'd shared the other day, but neither wanting to talk about it. Sirius watched her every move out of the corner of his eye. She moved quickly with an economy of motion, no flourishes or wasted energy when she worked. It was something different , the women he'd known when he was younger had all seemed to be in constant motion. Twirling their hair, batting their eyelashes, any number of little movements designed to keep a man's attention set on them. But Rhiannon did none of those things. He'd noticed she rubbed absently at her wrist, and sometimes her thigh but never when she knew someone was watching her. He let his attention settle on her face, a small grin made her lips tilt ever so slightly, their deep red color drawing him in. Her lashes were long and dark, her skin the color of cream with the lightest of freckles on her nose.

"Are you going to just stand there and stare?" She turned to face him.

"No." Sirius dropped the dish towel and backed her into the counter. He cradled her face in one hand and rubbed her hip with the other.

Rhiannon sighed at the feel of Sirius's hands on her. They were so big and warm, his long tattooed fingers dug into her hip softly, while he traced her jaw with the other hand. He paused, a breath away from her lips, giving her the chance to pull away. She couldn't have if she'd wanted to as trapped in his gaze as she was. His gray eyes darkened in an instant, and slid almost closed. The kiss wasn't demanding, he gave her plenty of time to move away. He closed his mouth over hers, nibbled until she opened her lips to his tongue.

Rhiannon sighed into him, she could feel something like electricity tingle thru her body.

Sirius felt the same thing, a buzz that raced from where her mouth was pressed passionately against his all the way to his toes. It was a new sensation, one he rather enjoyed. It felt like all the places that had been left cold inside of him since Azkaban were suddenly being warmed. He didn't think about Remus, he couldn't with his mind full of how soft Rhiannon's mouth was or the way she pushed herself closer to him and the sweet little whimper she made when his tongue brushed the side of hers. He felt her fingers tangle in his hair, her foot rubbing the back of his leg. Then there was a tug that didn't feel quiet right. It came from right under his heart and made him think of how it felt when the Dementors almost got his soul that night Harry's third year.

When Rhiannon pushed him away he was pleased and surprised to see her eyes were dark with arousal, they had turned completely blue, the color of a robins egg. She was rubbing her own heart when she spoke, "I have to go. There's a soul." She held out her hand and caught the set of white robes as they flew through the kitchen. She tugged the robes over her shoulders making her body disappear. Sirius thought of James's old invisibility cloak and grinned. "We're going to finish this when you get back."

"Okay sure." She gave him a cheeky grin and disappeared.

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"Where is she?" A cold voice hissed from the shadows of the Malfoy study.

"She'll be here my lord." Lucius gripped his silver tipped cane, silently cursing the infuriating guardian for taking so long. He knew she would show, but hoped it would be before the dark lord lost patience and crucioed him.

"…bad moon arising…" the witch tied to the chair in the corner cried softly.

"Quiet." Voldemort hissed at her then "crucio"

"She's here." Lucius called over the witch's screams.

"Good, she wasn't screaming enough this time." Voldemort moved to the middle of the room and looked around. His pale snake like features glowed eerily in the pale light. "Where is she?"

"She can only be seen by the dying. But give her a minute she show herself. Won't you little Guardian?" There was no response but Lucius didn't expect one.

"She would dare to stay silent when I wish to have her attention?"

"As long as our toy lives she will stay silent, it's how she always is."

Voldemort hissed and crossed the room. He liked to feel the last breath his toys took, it was so… life affirming especially for someone who had spent almost eleven years as nothing more than a ghost, a mere shadow of himself. The witch's sobs ended quickly with a load crack when Voldemort snapped her neck. Such an entertaining muggle form of murder, he smiled satisfied with himself.

"Now I wish to see you Guardian. Show yourself now."

Rhiannon grimaced when Voldemort snapped the young witch's neck. The sound echoed in her mind. She patted the vial that now held her soul and resigned herself to having to face the Dark Lord.

"I don't really care what you wish." She pushed the hood of her robes back revealing herself.

Voldemort's eyes flashed with anger. "You should be more respectful of your new master."

"I don't have a master you sick bastard." she braced her feet knowing one of the men before her would start throwing curses soon.

"Respect! You will respect me or I will make you pay."

"Respect has to be earned and I doubt you could do that."

"Silence you idiot child." Lucius took a step towards her.

"Bite me you arrogant old man." She snapped.

Voldemort laughed, a chilling hiss-like sound that made Rhiannon's skin crawl. She fought not to shudder. "You have a spine."

"Yes I do, unlike some in this room."

Voldemort moved closer to her, she could smell a bitter root like potion on his breath as he reached up to caress her cheek as Sirius had less than an hour before. "I'll take pleasure in seeing just how far that spine of yours can bend before it snaps." he grasped her chin and smirked.

Rhiannon's head snapped back suddenly. She was looking, upside down into a pair of obsidian eyes she knew very well. "_Play along_." Snape's voice echoed in her mind.

She struggled against his hold and winced when he gave her braid a slight tug.

"What the fuck are you doing? Let me go." She felt another gentle tug as Snape pointed his wand at her, muttered a spell and cut off her tightly woven braid just above where he held it.

"You're sure this will work to control her Lucius?" Voldemort took Rhiannon's braid from Snape's hand and lifted it to the slits that served as his nose.

"Yes my lord. It worked when I was trying to find you before."

"Good. You may go, for now." He dismissed Rhiannon with a wave of his hand.

She turned and glared at Snape then disappeared.

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Rhiannon walked out of her room running a hand through her now shoulder length hair and laughed. What the hell did Lucius think he was going to do with her braid? No charms would work now, the elders had seen fit to take care of that by forcing her to bind herself. She tugged up her sleeve and grinned at the partially formed image on her wrist as she wandered the halls.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" Sirius blocked the door to the library just as she was about to push it open. She flipped her shorter locks flirtatiously and batted her eyelashes in an exaggerated impression of a schoolgirl.

"You like it?"

He reached up and played with the ends, "Yeah but what happened."

"Another trap. I met Voldemort." She gently pushed him out of the way and dropped down onto the couch.

"What!" He demanded.

"I met Voldemort. And Snape cut off my braid to use as a charm."

"What? I'll kill the bastard." Sirius's eyes flashed silver with anger.

"Don't worry, it wont work and Snape knows it."

"how do you know it wont work?" Sirius glared at her.

"Because I cant be controlled by anyone but the one I'm bound to now and its not Lucius Malfoy or Voldemort." She stared into the empty fireplace as Sirius paced in front of her. "I've never seen anything like him. So distorted by his own anger and evil."

"Who's that?" Sirius asked although he had a pretty good idea of who she was talking about he just needed a minute to calm down. If Rhiannon wasn't mad or upset about Snape cutting off her hair to use in a charm to control her, should he be? He must be missing something he decided for them to be so sure that it wouldn't work.

"Voldemort." Her answer pulled him out of his thoughts, "But it makes sense, ugly inside, ugly outside. I wonder how Lucius keeps himself looking so… normal."

She was watching him pace now, his long strides hypnotizing her. She liked how he looked so carelessly perfect in a pair of worn jeans and a black button-down left half unbuttoned. His thick black hair was tied back so she could see the smaller tattoos along his neck just under his ear making her want to kiss each one. She shook her head, now would not be a good time to start something like that. He'd probably just assume she was trying to distract him from breaking Snape's rather large nose. She grinned this time, things had been too calm around the house since those two became friends.

There was a flash of green flames in the fireplace and Snape appeared.

"Sorry about that Rhiannon." He sighed, "Had I know that was coming I would have warned you. What are you glaring at mutt?"

"When should we expect Lucius to start summoning Rhiannon?" He snapped

"Never, the charm wont work, but I didn't tell them that. Besides it wont be Lucius now, it will be the Dark Lord. You really pissed him off, saying the things you did." He smirked, something like pride flashed temporarily in his eyes.

"He's disgusting." She shrugged.

Sirius was becoming frustrated at them. They should be worried, not acting like nothing was wrong. He now understood why Remus had always looked so annoyed when he and James just smiled as they were being punished for their pranks in school. It was damn infuriating to be worried over something when no one else was.

"The Weasley's are expecting us in a few minutes boys. Are you ready to go to the burrow?" Rhiannon stood up shoving a hand through her hair again. She liked how light it felt now and wondered why she herself hadn't cut it before.

"Yeah I guess." Sirius grumbled as Snape nodded his agreement. Rhiannon went first, throwing a hand full of floo powder in the fireplace and calling out for the burrow.


	16. The Burrow

-1Disclaimer- JKR still owns everything.

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A/N Thanks to Charlotte for helping me with my crappy spelling and such!!!

Chapter 16

The Burrow

Rhiannon stepped out of the Floo and into the chaos that is the Weasley Family home. She was greeted by an identical set of grinning teens as she stepped out of the way for Sirius and Snape.

"Wotcher! She's gorgeous." one said.

"That she is." The other nudged his brother.

Rhiannon arched her brow at the pair. "Fred and George, yes?"

She nodded to each in turn.

"She got it on the first try." Fred elbowed George.

"Lucky guess." George shoved Fred.

"Don't know, Ronikins said she was good."

She shook her head at the pair and moved past them into the kitchen. The house was old and worn, but tidy in a homey way that made her grin. The furniture was mismatched and nearly threadbare but was covered with newly sewn blankets. There was an older woman standing at the counter, a charmed set of knives chopped vegetables before her.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Rhiannon called from the doorway, not wanting to surprise her. She had curly red hair only slightly faded with age. An old green apron was tied around her ample waist. Mrs. Weasley was what Rhiannon thought everyone's mom should look like, someone built to give hugs.

"Oh my dear, you must be Miss Hades. Dumbledore said you would be here today. Said to watch for the woman wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Although I could have sworn he said you had hair longer than his, but I could have been wrong." As she spoke the older woman pulled out her wand, directed the kettle to fill with water and move to the stove. Rhiannon liked the woman instantly she thought as she was bustled to a chair and given a plate of biscuits.

"Yes ma'am I did have longer hair. Thank you for the biscuits Mrs. Weasley." Rhiannon took one and bit into it. This was something she'd missed in the states, homemade biscuits fresh from the oven.

"Oh call me Molly everyone does."

"Yeah, call her Molly until she agrees to marry me so I can have homemade biscuits everyday for the rest of my life. Then you have to call her Mrs. Black." Sirius grinned form the door and gave Molly a wink.

"Sirius Black you scoundrel." She rushed over and patted his cheeks. "I should knock you upside the head for not listening that night. See what you've gone and done? Worried us all, pulled this nice girl into the middle of a war she was safe from. Poor Harry blamed himself the whole time you were gone he did." Her cheeks were flushed red when she finally took a breath. Rhiannon, seeing that she was about to continue and a look of annoyance passing over Sirius's face broke in.

"Molly, you must give me the recipe for these biscuits, they are best I've ever had." Molly's attention turned, her smile returning full force.

"Oh that's an old family secret. I can't possibly give that away."

Rhiannon waved Sirius out of the room as she talked recipes with Molly.

Sirius gazed at Rhiannon a moment before he slipped out the kitchen door in to the garden. Molly could really get under his skin sometimes, he knew she meant well but she was always nagging.

"Sirius!" Harry hit him full force, knocking him back a step.

"Harry! I didn't think you'd be here." Sirius hugged his godson. He pushed the boy back to look at him. "You've lost weight. Don't they feed you at the Dursleys?" He didn't like how skinny Harry was, shouldn't a boy his age have some meat on his bones somewhere? Sirius could remember James being thin but not this much.

"Mrs. Weasley's already working on that. How's it been being locked up with Snape?" Harry shoved at his glasses and looked earnestly at him.

"Not so bad, but don't tell anyone that." Sirius liked the sparkle that lit Harry's eyes, it reminded him so much of Lily.

"Harry, come on. We have to choose teams for Quidditch and if you don't hurry we'll be stuck with Hermione again." Ron ran over to them. "Hey Sirius, want to play? Three on three?"

Sirius grinned, "Don't you already have enough players?"

"Hermione wouldn't mind, she hates to fly and won't go more than a couple of feet off the ground anyway." Harry shrugged.

"Sure then why not." He followed them across the garden into an open field. Hermione, Ginny and Luna were sitting in a circle on one end of the field, their broomsticks lying forgotten next to them while Neville watched them, a blush turning his cheeks red.

"Oi, Sirius is going to play for Hermione." Ron called out to the girls.

They turned as a group to look at him. Sirius had never seen a bunch of smiles like theirs. Looks like a child would give their favored uncle crossed their faces, making him smile in return. "Ladies, how goes your summer Holiday?" He knelt down next to them.

"Sirius." Hermione hugged him, "They're good, my mum and Dad are going on Holiday to some convention for dentists, I get to stay here till they get back."

"That's good."

"So is Luna." Ginny grinned at him.

"Dad has made a major discovery for the…" The blonde ginned strangely, her blue eyes seeming to stare right through him for a moment before she finished "… He'll be back before term starts."

Sirius just grinned at her. She sure was an odd one, not at all bad, just in her own world he supposed. Then again if he remembered her father correctly he could figure out where she got it from.

"If Hermione isn't playing we're not either." Ginny glared at her brother.

"Come on Gin, you two got to play."

"No, go ask the twins, they'd probably play with you."

"Hey that's true, go ask Fred and George." Neville urged Ron.

Sirius watched the boys run towards the house and return a moment later, the older Weasley boys in tow. Sirius felt better than he had in a while, being around so many people and outside in the sunshine. They kicked off and started their pick up game just as Rhiannon and Molly came out to watch them.

Rhiannon looked up and smiled at the boys playing Quidditch. It had been a long time since she'd seen a game.

"Rhiannon, come sit with us." Ginny waved at her.

"Hullo Ladies." She dropped down onto the grass with them.

They all smiled at her. There was a stack of muggle fashion magazines open between them making her smile. "Doing some shopping?"

"Hermione brought these so we can practice transfiguring our robes for the Christmas ball next term." Ginny offered. Rhiannon could remember sitting much as these girls were with her best friend in school doing the exact same thing.

"You mean something like this?" She waved her hand at Luna, transfiguring her blaring purple and orange polka dotted sundress into a beautiful smoke gray ball gown. There were ohhs and ahhs as Luna stared down at the dress in fascination.

"Yes exactly." Ginny clapped.

"Could you teach us that please Rhiannon?" Hermione begged. It had been a long time since she'd sat around discussing fashion and makeup and found she really missed being a girl. They transfigured clothes and cheered on the boys as they played. Even Snape eventually found his way out to the field and was now holding the dubious positions of referee and fashion judge.

"I think when he just raises his eyebrows it means he likes it." Rhiannon stood up; her jeans and top were transfigured into a robin's egg blue sundress that fell to mid-calf, "What do you think of this one?" She gave a little spin.

Snape smirked and raised his eyebrows.

"If he doesn't like it, he's bloody well dead from the neck up 'because you are bloody gorgeous." Sirius landed easily behind her, his comment making her blush.

Snape rolled his eyes and glared, "Insult my intelligence again and I'll hex your…" He looked at the students surrounding him, "Longbottom's team wins."

"Oi come on, we won that last goal…" Sirius argued along with Fred and Harry.

George Ron and Neville cheered and taunted the others.

"It seems my dear we have just missed a very interesting game." Dumbledore's voice drew everyone's attention to him and McGonagall who nodded her greeting.

"Don't you ladies look lovely, but aren't you a tad bit overdressed?" He peered at the girls bedecked in ball gowns over his glasses.

"Rhiannon was teaching us how to transfigure things for the Christmas ball." Ginny fingered her emerald dress lovingly.

"Just sharing a lesson from the best transfiguration professor I ever had." Rhiannon smiled warmly at McGonagall.

"Oh Miss Hades, I am the only Transfiguration professor you ever had." She blushed anyway at the complement as it meant a lot coming from the woman before her.

"Well I think that says something in and of itself doesn't it Minerva?" Sirius grinned at her, "Oddly enough you're the best I ever had too. Taught me a lot." He pointed his wand at Snape turning the man's robes Gryffindor red.

"Don't forget she was my professor too, Mutt." Snape turned Sirius's robes Slytherin green with little silver snakes just to one up the other man.

"Now none of that," Molly broke in recognizing the signs of a battle that would go on for ever when Sirius made large gold lions dance along the hems of Snape's robes. "Lunch should be ready." She ushered the teens ahead of her quickly shushing their giggles and murmurs of astonishment at seeing the two former enemy's taunt each other with out going for blood.

Sirius wrapped his arm around Rhiannon's waist, "You really do look beautiful in that dress." He whispered close to her ear.

"Thank you. You know I don't believe I've ever told you how sinfully sexy you look in those jeans."

"Yes, I know I do." He sounded down right smug, making Rhiannon giggle and shove him away.

Lunch was a bustle of activity, the dining room table had been magically enlarged to seat everyone comfortably, and enough food was loaded onto the table that Rhiannon was surprised it didn't fall apart under the weight. They ate their fill while talking about everything they could think of, except Voldemort and the war, it was almost an unspoken rule that meals wouldn't involve those things. Rhiannon sighed contentedly as she pushed her plate away, having ate enough for three people like usual. She leaned over and filled Sirius's plate again as he emptied it.

"Thanks love." He grinned at her.

Their looks were not missed by Dumbledore or McGonagall who grinned at each other.

When Sirius was finally done and the chatter had quieted Molly waved her wand at the dishes, staking them neatly then levitating them into the kitchen to soak in the sink. Dumbledore pulled out his pocket watch, the moons and planets whirling madly around the stars in it. "The rest of the order should be here in a moment." As if on cue there was a roar from the fireplace as more members arrived. Rhiannon watched as a short woman with bubblegum pink hair followed a huge bald black man into the kitchen, gazing at him with obvious affection the entire time. She was so caught up watching her companion that she stumbled over a rug and knocked over a small table. A large glass vase went flying the flowers in it scattering on the floor but everyone seemed prepared for something like this, and had wands ready to stop the glass from shattering.

"Opps sorry Molly." The woman blushed.

"It's alright Tonks; just sit down before anything else goes flying." Molly sent the flowers floating back into their vase. The next to arrive was an older man with a limp and a glass eye that Rhiannon could feel staring a hole through her head, he nodded once to Sirius then to everyone else before moving to one of the furthest seats and continuing to stare.

Dumbledore glanced once more at his watch, "Well we're still missing a couple of people but we might as well get started. Rhiannon Hades, you know every one here but these three." Dumbledore waved to the new comers. "This is Tonks, Kingsley and Mad-eye. They are some of the Aurors from the Ministry." Rhiannon studying them as closely as they studied her. Tonks was madly in love with Kingsley and Him with her. She grinned, neither knew it. Mad-eye glared at her a moment until she smirked at him and lifted her glasses. He nodded then as if giving his approval.

"We have a few things to discuss. Mainly the deaths of some local Muggleborn witches and Wizards. Bodies have been showing up, mutilated and practically drained of blood lately. Can the Ministry provide anything helpful?" Dumbledore asked but the answer was put off by Molly.

"Should the children be here for this?" They all knew her feelings on this and looked to Dumbledore for his answer.

"Yes Molly, it is time they knew everything going on and not by listening at doors."

She looked ready to argue but only nodded, sending a worried glance at all of them.

"As I was saying, any information?" He asked the Aurors again.

Tonks sat up a bit straighter in her chair and answered, "It's definitely Malfoy, but we can't prove it. He's too careful. But we can't figure out why so many so close together." The edges of her pink hair turned blue when she said this. Rhiannon shuddered, she knew what Malfoy was doing. Sirius felt her shudder and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she immediately felt better, like the entire world wasn't bouncing up and down on her head.

"I know why." She spoke up, "He was trying to get to me."

"Why you?" Kingsley asked, his voice was deep, reverberating through the room.

"Because I'm the guardian that got Sirius out of the veil. He believes I can stop Voldemort from dying, or bring him back when he does. And He's convinced him of it too." She looked around the room.

"You are a Guardian." Tonks's eyes grew large. "That is so cool. We have the Guardian of Souls on our side."

"She can't be on our side, unless she's bound herself to someone on our side." Mad-eye glared at her from his seat in the corner. She felt Sirius tense, the fingers that had been rubbing the row of stitches on her arm stilled.

Rhiannon held up her wrist, the first time she'd openly shown anyone the shimmering tattoo since Dumbledore.

"Your ink worked wonderfully Neville." She said with out breaking eye contact with the Auror.

"It's a fresh bind yet, isn't it?" He asked.

"Not quiet a month." She answered.

"Still hasn't taken shape yet, the one you're bound to doesn't know he's bound."

"No he doesn't, maybe never will. That doesn't make it any less permanent." She glared until he nodded and looked at Dumbledore who ignored the whole conversation.

"What are we going to do about Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape stood up "If Malfoy believes he has control over Rhiannon, he may go back to his old habits of using female Deatheatters for his," He grimaced, "entertainment."

"But how do we convince him of that?"

"He already is. That's what happened to my hair." Rhiannon shoved back the shortened ends that were falling in her face. "He summoned me this morning, he and Voldemort. You'll find another body, that of a young woman, brunette, just out of school, sometime this afternoon." She looked at Tonks who nodded.

"When I got there, they were ready for me." She shrugged making it seem like no big deal.

"Earlier this week Lucius cut open her arm." Sirius lifted her sleeve just enough for the group to see the neat little row of stitches. "He used dark magic; we couldn't heal it with magic."

Dumbledore shook his head, "We need to figure out a way to keep you safe Rhiannon." He looked around the room silently asking for suggestions. Most people shook their heads, there just wasn't that much known about Guardian lore. Rhiannon herself wasn't sure there could be any further protection. Stop responding to their taunting, she sighed to herself and wiggled closer to Sirius. Hermione she noticed was chewing on her bottom lip like she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should.

"Hermione, what's going on in that brilliant mind of yours?" She asked making the girl jump.

"Yes Miss Granger, do you have something helpful?" Dumbledore smiled at her encouragingly.

"Well I read this old book; I got it from a bookstore in Knockturn ally." She blushed guiltily but no one said anything yet. "They had this book, only a chapter or two on Guardians, even those were rather silly. But one said a guardian can take someone with them when they go to remove a soul…" She paused and stared at Rhiannon.

"Go on." She said this was something her mother had never told her, but then again her mother had never wanted company even after she had returned to the house.

"Well it says the only person that can go with you is your…" She bit down hard on her lip. Everyone silently urged her on.

"They have to be your spouse."

Rhiannon raised an eyebrow. She wasn't getting married; no way in hell was she dragging someone into the twisted life she led. Hadn't she seen her father suffer along with her mother when she got depressed seeing the victims of Voldemort during the first war?

"Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be more careful." She growled "Because I am not getting married."

"Now Rhiannon, if that is the only way we can keep you safe, maybe you should consider it, at least until this is over." Snape said.

"What, you want to volunteer for the job Severus? You want to see what I see? Because trust me, what you've seen and done at the revel are horrible, but they are nothing compared to what Malfoy and the others do when they are alone and believe no one is watching."

"But you need protection. I won't be the one they call every time they want to do something to you. Even today, I was only asked because I could quickly get the ingredients for the charm Lucius wanted." Snape glared at her.

"I will not do it. I refuse to and none of you can make me." She hissed and stomped out of the room, shoving Remus out of her way as she went.

The blonde man stared with confusion as his friend stomped out of the house, the front door slamming behind her as she went.

"Oi what did I miss?" He asked.

"Just the Beginning of the meeting." Snape dropped back into his chair.

"Oh okay. Well sorry I'm late." He dropped into the seat Rhiannon had just left.

Sirius looked at his friend and felt guilt boil up in his stomach. He had kissed his best friends girl, fantasized about taking her to bed. He belonged back in Azkaban, or worse, he'd betrayed Remus's trust.

"Have you been taking good care of Rhi?" Remus asked in a whisper as Kingsley was explaining some information they'd received on Death eater movements.

Sirius decided in that moment that he was going to hell, or what ever place existed for betrayers of friends and bastard girlfriend stealing ex-cons.

"Yeah great care." He managed to grin.

As soon as Dumbledore called the meeting to a close Sirius escaped into the garden. He was arguing with himself over when he should let Remus kick his ass, now or closer to the full moon when he heard voices. He peeked around a large tree, seeing Rhiannon and Remus sitting on a low stone wall. He didn't want to listen but found he couldn't make himself move away or let them know he was there.

"What am I supposed to say, Remus? Sorry I did this but there is no way to change it now." Rhiannon growled.

"I know that Rhi. And you knew that when you did it. You are bound now; there is nothing you can do."

"Yea."

"I think you should do it. Get married even if it is just in name."

"Would you marry me? Knowing what my world is like? Would you be able to handle that?" She cried now Sirius could see the tears on her cheeks. Remus wrapped his arms around her, kissed her temple then her cheek.

"In a heart beat, if I believed you'd have me."

Rhiannon smiled, and kissed his lips. "I'm too stubborn."

"That I know, I guess I'll just have to settle for afternoons like this." He pulled her closer to his side making her giggle.

Sirius growled and turned away from them. His guilt now fighting with anger at Rhiannon, what kind of woman talked like that to one man and kissed another so passionately?

Remus turned to look at the tree behind them. He could have sworn he heard something growl, but saw nothing there.

"What?" Rhiannon turned to look.

"Nothing just hearing things I suppose. Probably need a good nights sleep." He turned back around. "So how are things, being stuck in a house with Sirius and Snape?"

Rhiannon sighed dreamily. "Gods Remus, he makes my blood heat up and my heart beat like I just played Quidditch for three days straight. And that's just when he kisses me. I don't know what would happen if we actually got any farther."

"I'm happy for you, and is Sirius behaving himself too?" Remus grinned at her.

"Oh ha ha wolf boy. You're fucking hilarious." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I really am happy you and Sirius are hitting it off, but I assume there is a 'but' somewhere in your giddy little sighs." He knew there was, he could see it in her eyes.

"One, nothing can really come of us, I refuse to drag an unwitting man into my sick and twisted little world. And two I think he's convinced you and I are still together."

"What? Why would he think that?"

"I don't know. I heard him muttering to himself 'she's my best friend's girl' over and over and over."

Remus rolled his eyes. He would have a talk with Sirius and straighten things out, but first he wanted to know what his friend felt for the woman at his side. To do that he'd have to ask Snape for some help and hope he would give it without too many questions. He stood up and left Rhiannon hoping to go find Snape.


	17. The Truth about Revels

-1Disclaimer- same as every other chapter I own nothing, everything potter belongs to jkr

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Thanks again to Charlotte without whom I'd be lost in a sea of bad grammar and poor spelling, for that I send you a big heaping platter of eggplant lasagna with lots of melty cheese!!

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Chapter 17

The Truth about Revels

"You want me to do what to Sirius?" Snape smirked at Remus, he had to give it to the werewolf, this was devious even for him.

"I need to find out about him and Rhi." Remus sighed.

"Jealous?" Snape asked.

"No, merely over protective."

"Okay, but I want to see it." Snape smirked again there was no way he was missing this little show.

"You want to stick around while Sirius spills his guts about Rhiannon? Who's jealous now?" Remus was surprised, Rhiannon had told him Snape and Sirius had been getting along better but this was just weird.

"Not me, I just want to torture him later."

Remus debated for a moment, Snape was the only one that could help him on such short notice. "Okay fine."

"Get him into the kitchen in about ten minutes." Snape turned and stepped through the floo.

Remus waited for a few minutes then went to find Sirius, it wasn't all that hard considering his heightened senses. Sirius always smelled like some muggle cologne Remus's cousin sent him.

"Padfoot, what are you doing way out here?" He found Sirius pacing under a tree a good walk from the house. "I've been looking for you for a while."

Sirius looked up, his eyes flashed silver, warning Remus that he was mad about something. "Where is Rhiannon?"

"Inside with the kids, they haven't left her side since she came back after storming out. I believe they are using Ron wanting to transfigure his robes as an excuse to stick close to her." It had been Sirius behind the tree when he and Rhiannon had been talking, Remus was sure of it. He probably really thought they were involved now and that she was cheating.

"That woman needs a guard just to keep her in line." Sirius growled.

Well at least he hadn't called her anything nasty, Remus thought. "Come on Molly says Arthur has some Firewhisky hidden in the cupboard. We can dip into his stash and you can tell me what has you pacing and obviously mad at Rhiannon."

Sirius glared at his friend, he'd always been a bit naive when it came to women. He didn't want to hurt him by telling him the woman he loved was a lying bitch. With a sigh and his head hanging he followed Remus into the kitchen . Snape was seated at the table, the bottle of Firewhisky already in front of him and one glass already poured.

"Remus, your wolfsbane will be ready in the morning if you want to come by Grimmuald place to get it."

Remus nodded and filled a glass first for Sirius then himself. "Are you going to tell us what has your boxers in a bunch?" Remus asked after Sirius had drunk half his glass.

Sirius stared at Snape a moment, "what was in that?" He nodded towards the bottle.

"Veritaserum." Remus answered then looked at his own glass. "In the bottle, not the glass huh?" He asked Snape.

"Yes, figured it would be more convincing if nether of you could lie."

"Smart." Remus nodded.

"So why are you mad at Rhiannon?" Snape took over the questioning as Remus sat down.

"Because she's cheating on you with me." Sirius covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes sparking silver again.

"I'm not with her." Remus rolled his eyes.

"I just heard you two say you loved each other."

"Yeah we do but not in the way you think. I love her like I love you." Remus glared when Sirius snorted , he glanced at his glass noticing there was hardly a drink gone out of it. Remus sighed and drank his glass of whisky.

"Happy? Ask me about Rhiannon and I now."

"How do you feel about our resident Guardian Mutt?" Snape was enjoying this now.

"Like I've never felt about anyone else." He growled at his own inability to keep his mouth shut.

"And you Remus, how do you feel about Rhiannon?" Snape turned to the Werewolf.

"Like she's my sister."

"Interesting." Snape smirked. "And how do you feel about me?" Curiosity got the better of him.

"Like you're an okay guy, a bit of a prat but with what we did to you as kids we deserve it and more." Remus glared at him. "Nice Snape, very nice."

"And you Mutt?"

"Surprisingly, I like you. Maybe if we hadn't been such bastards in school we could have been friends and never met Peter."

"I'll take that as a long overdue apology." Snape saluted them with his glass.

"So how much did you put in that bottle anyway?" Remus asked.

"In the bottle? None. But I coated the inside of your glasses with it. I wouldn't waste that much of the stuff for what would take only a few drops."

Sirius sighed , "Think we could do this to Rhi? Just to find out who she's bound to and why she didn't tell me she was bound before she went and kissed me?"

"Yes we could, and she's bound to…" Remus realized what he was about to say and shoved his robes in his mouth to muffle the answer.

"Who's she bound to?" Snape asked, seeing the panicked look in Remus's eyes.

The answer was garbled again by robes. "Stop it! I cant tell you, she only just told me and made me swear on penalty of pain that I wouldn't tell anyone until she did."

"Fine." Snape sighed looking annoyed.

"Is it someone we know?" Sirius asked watching the werewolf.

"Yes."

"Is it someone that was here tonight?"

"Yes. Stop it Sirius." Remus howled.

Rhiannon could hear them in the hall, she knew the kids had just wanted to keep an eye on her but she really did need a break. She had slipped down to the kitchen hoping for some peace if only for a few seconds when she heard the men talking. She had heard enough to know they were probably on Veritaserum but when they asked about who she was bound to she decided to interrupt.

"Remus, my dear. You wouldn't be about to spill a secret would you?" She gave a smirk that she knew rivaled Snape's at his most evil, getting a guilty look from all of them.

"Yes. But they're making me." Remus hastened to explain.

Rhiannon looked the three over, seeing no signs of the potion in Snape's eyes she figured it was just the other two.

"You do know what will happen if you tell don't you?"

"Yes. I know."

She smiled, she really did love Remus, he was like the brother she never had. He was so quiet most of the time, she liked seeing him joking and carrying on with the other two men. She turned her attention to Sirius, taking in his disheveled appearance.

"You wouldn't be trying to get Remus to break a promise he made to me would you?"

"Yes." Sirius mirrored her smirk.

"Hmm what should I do to you for that?" She knew he couldn't resist answering, knew she was being overly seductive in front of Snape and Remus.

"Shag me stupid?" He winked at her.

"Hmm maybe later. For now I believe maybe we should be heading back to Grimmuald Place. You three seem to get into trouble when allowed to play alone to long." She grabbed the bottle of whisky from the table and put it back on the shelve where she'd seen it earlier.

"Yes ma'am." The three responded smartly.

"Insolent boys." She grinned, but followed them into the living room. Molly had already gone to bed, explaining that her husband Arthur wouldn't be coming home tonight, he was staying at work for something. Molly had whispered that he was studying some muggle object that had been confiscated from Mr. Lovegood, Luna's father.

The small group flooed back to Grimmuald place, where she bid them goodnight. Her day had been rather trying and the headache that had been pushing at her since this morning was finally winning the battle. She drank a headache potion and curled up on her bed, listening to the guy's muffled voices coming up from the kitchen below. She didn't know what she'd do if they found out who she was bound to, she looked at the tattoo on her wrist. It glittered brightly in the moonlight streaming through her window, she could make out a pair of large ears and the letter 'S' , it wouldn't be very long if the lines continued shifting as they were before someone would recognize the image and probably the name scrawled above it. She shifted in bed tucking her hand under her cheek and tried to figure out how she could guard an innocent soul with out offering comfort. There was just no way to keep her presence a secret, and Lucius would start to use his new charm as soon as he thought he could. She did need some kind of protection, but dragging an innocent man into this just to keep Lucius from hexing her every once in a while? That she couldn't do, she'd made it through school without protection and she'd known a lot less then. She shook her head knowing she couldn't do it, no matter how much Remus begged and Dumbledore goaded. She listened to the soft murmurs from below her a few more seconds before sleep claimed her.

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It was three days later when Rhiannon felt the pull again, and knew it would Lucius. She was sitting in the empty library as Sirius and Remus were upstairs going through some junk in the attic and Snape had been called to a Death Eater meeting. She wrote her note and stuck it to her door, including a list of instructions on how to heat the platter of food she'd left in the cooler for dinner.

Her robes were securely fastened and a dagger hidden in the inside pocket when she appeared in a large room. It had the cool empty feeling of a warehouse, the bit of sunlight that made it through the grimy windows illuminated dust motes and scattered bits of paper. She wandered around on silent boots , never betraying her presence until she found the pretty witch, curled in a corner, the dark mark hanging like a death shroud over her head. Rhiannon looked at the woman, feeling hatred at those that would torture her burn in her belly. She sat down and wrapped her arms around the crying woman, making shushing sounds like a mother would a child.

"Am I going to die?" The witch asked.

"Yes, you are." Rhiannon couldn't lie.

"Is it going to hurt?"

"Probably before. But not during, I promise." She would take as much of the girls pain into herself during the torture, and knew it wouldn't be enough to keep her from feeling all of it at least on some level.

"You are her aren't you. The one my mother always told me about when I would wake up from a nightmare about dying."

"Yes Deirdre," The woman's name flew through her mind along with images from her short life. She had lived as if she knew it would end too soon. Rhiannon supposed she probably did know, figured most people knew at least subconsciously when their time would come. She continued to stroke Deirdre's long red ponytail and listen as her breathing deepened, she'd worn herself out with fright, probably for the best. The sun set, making the room even cooler, Rhiannon pulled the witch closer, not wanting to risk a warming charm on them. The selfish part of her hated when she was called so early, had to wait knowing there was nothing she could do to change what was going to happen unless They told her she could. The logical part said she was called when she was needed and would stay till the end no matter what. She hated the logical part of herself sometimes.

"It's cold in here." A squeaky man's voice echoed from the doorway. Rhiannon immediately woke Deirdre up, she didn't want her taken by surprise. The woman turned large frightened green eyes at her, pleading silently for help. The most Rhiannon could do was squeeze her shoulder, offering her own strength and taking as much of the other woman's fear as she could manage.

"The Dark Lord wants you brought to him." The squeaky voice belonged to a short fat little rat of a man Rhiannon recognized immediately as Peter Pettigrew. He Hadn't changed at all in the last year or so since she'd watched him bring Voldemort back in the graveyard. She'd wanted to kill him herself but hadn't been able to, had settle instead for taking the brunt of the Crucitus curse that had been used on Harry that night. She shuddered with the memory of the pure hatred that had powered that curse and how she'd been unable to stop her hands from jerking wildly for a week after that night. She stepped aside while Peter levitated Deirdre from the floor, but held her hand as he started moving with her. She nodded encouragingly at her, hoping this wouldn't last long, that Snape would be there to end it like he typically did. Giving a bit of mercy to the Death Eater's toys as much to end his own suffering as to end theirs.

The room they entered was large, lavishly furnished and full of dark wizards. Rhiannon sighed, a revel, this could go on all night. She glanced around, noticing a man and woman across the room, dressed just as she was, standing in much the same position, their hands on the shoulders of a man and a woman. Muggle-Guardians, Rhiannon nodded at them and they nodded back. She had met each of them before, at other revels. Despite what many believed she wasn't the only one. Muggles had many Guardian's in every country, while witches and wizards usually only had one or two depending on the population in the country. Rhiannon just happened to be the Guardian for Great Briton and Ireland.

A hissing voice rose above the crowd, "My faithful followers, we are lucky tonight to have the presence of a very sssspecial guest." Gods the hissing grated on her nerves, she didn't know how anyone could stand that for any amount of time. "I will ask that for her benefit, the mud-blood be kept alive until the very end."

Rhiannon's head jerked up when a bright light flicked on just above her, she knew only the other Guardians and Deirdre could see her but still felt uneasy with the attention being paid to her place. She knew the 'special guest' was her, and hated the knowledge that the pain tonight would be prolonged to torture her as well as the innocent victims.

"Little Guardian, I hope you like the entertainment for the evening, it was chosen with you in mind." Voldemort hissed again from some unknown corner. She saw the other Guardians start to move towards her but waved them back and pressed a finger to her lips, telling them to stay silent. Two more lights came on to illuminate the muggle victims, one man and one woman, both tied to tables like Deirdre, while the rest of the room was thrown into darkness. Music was turned on, loud and pulsating making Rhiannon cringe. It was like being in a muggle night club, the smell of sweat and drinks. The push and noise of too many people gathered in too little space overwhelmed her. She gripped Deirdre's hand tighter, as the first Death Eater caressed her face. Peter, Rhiannon recognized his squeaky little giggle and shuddered. She took a deep steadying breath as the pudgy little man clambered up on the table and yanked Deirdre's legs open. At the last second, before Rhiannon knew the pain would start she yanked a memory out of the witch's head. A bright afternoon at the park, with someone, probably a boyfriend she put as much onto making the memory seem real as she could. Drawing all the pain from Deirdre's tiny body. She would pay for doing this later, it would make defending herself harder when they finally finished but she would accept it.

She was able to keep it up for almost an hour, when she was sure Deirdre had slid far enough into her own world she released the image. Rhiannon's blood was pounding , the screams of the two Muggles could be heard over the pulsating techno crap that assaulted their ears, while their bodies were abused. Rhiannon looked around, she could see the blood running off the table and hated the smell of it, the color, even the warm sticky feel that clung to memories and shaded life forever.

"_It's almost over." _She wasn't sure how Snape had found her and was able to communicate but felt surprisingly better at hearing his voice in her head.

"_How much longer? What else does he have planned?" _She asked staring at the masked figure braced against the wall in front of her.

"_Just a few more moments. I've already released the others," _Rhiannon looked across the room, sure enough the Muggles were lying limp, a green light only she could see still surrounding them.

"_He wants to talk to you again. To taunt you in front of his followers, show them that he has power over death itself." _

"_But I'm not death, I'm only the one that takes you to the next life." _She argued and saw his barely perceptible shrug, to anyone else it would have looked like he was shifting positions.

"_Doesn't matter to them, they aren't the brightest lot. They will see what he wants them to see and believe what he wants them to believe." _He stepped forward, his turn. He climbed on the table and pulled a knife from beneath his robes. Her death was quick at his hands, merciful and with out pain as he slipped the blade between her ribs and straight into her heart. Rhiannon caught the ball of light that slid out from under Snape, and tucked it in her robes.

"_I hate that you see me do that." _He moved back to the wall a look of self-hatred in his eyes.

"_I hate that you are forced to, but am thankful that you don't hurt them any further."_ The music died quickly, as did any conversations.

"Ah Severus I see you got over excited again. Always were a quick one with a knife."

Voldemort walked over to the lifeless body of the witch and flicked his tongue out. "Hmm but she was afraid when she died. As they all should be. Good work." He sounded like a teacher complimenting a student who'd gotten his charm correct on the first try.

"Now Lucius, where is my newest toy?"

Lucius Malfoy separated himself from the dark mass to her side. She could see the edge of her braid dangling from his fingers.

"She is of course still here master." He knelt down, bowing his head until the platinum locks fell forward, covering his face.

"Make her show herself." Voldemort demanded.

Lucius held out her braid and looked around the small area still bathed in light, "Show yourself little Guardian, that my lord may give you his orders."

Rhiannon rolled her eyes, what the hell was that? She wondered but a small movement from Snape prompted her to tug off her hood, making her visible to all.

There was a wave of surprised gasps from those who doubted the existence of Guardians and a few rather disturbing requests for her to join the next revel.

"What do you want?" might as well act as she had last time, if she was too compliant he'd know something was up.

"I want you to look around, see what we did just for you tonight." Voldemort indicated the room around him. "This could all be yours, if you would join me as my consort."

Rhiannon gagged dramatically. "Thanks but no thanks, I'm not really into the slithery type." She crossed her arms knowing he'd be insulted at her lack of respect.

Voldemort raised his wand, "Just as I expected, I do enjoy your little show of defiance but we both know you are mine now. Crucio." Rhiannon felt her body jerk and hit the ground but refused to scream. After a moment the spell was released, Voldemort's eyes glowed red and popped out of their sockets, giving him the look of a lab mouse being squeezed by a snake.

"You don't scream? I will just have to keep cursing you until you give in." He hit her again with the curse, harder this time, annoyance making it stronger. He had to do it three more times before she could hold it in no longer, her entire body was jerking even after he released her, the pain of muscles being tensed to tight for too long making her scream.

"That's what I thought. I do believe I have found a worthy pet." He smiled at the group of laughing Death Eaters, "I like it when they try to resist, makes it so much more fun." He walked away leaving her lying on the floor and dismissed everyone else.

Snape held back as long as he could with out it being suspicious.

"Go," Rhiannon groaned trying to lift herself from the floor. "I'll be fine."

Snape nodded before walking out. She pushed herself up, every muscle in her body protesting the movements. Concentrating hard on her room at Grimmuald Place she disappeared.

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Sirius and Remus were sitting at the kitchen table discussing the werewolf pack Remus was staying with when there was a loud thud from right above them. Dust poured down on the pair as they watched the ceiling.

"What was that?" Remus asked.

Sirius shrugged, "I don't know, that's Rhi's room." They sat a moment longer until ceiling shook again.

"What the hell?" Sirius jumped up, wand ready and raced up the stairs, Remus on his heals.

The portrait of Mrs. Black had awoken at the sounds and was screaming insults before they entered the room.

Sirius knocked, and hearing no response pushed the door open. "Rhi? You in here?" He stepped in, the room was dark, only the smallest amount of moonlight filtered through the drawn drapes. The room was in perfect order, the bed made, clothes neatly folded.

"Oh Merlin." Sirius rushed to the full length mirror, Rhiannon's body was sprawled halfway out of the solid looking glass. "What the hell is this?" Sirius grabbed her pale arm and tugged. She slid easily across the floor but didn't open her eyes.

"She must have been attacked again." Remus grabbed her feet as Sirius lifted her to her bed. The pounding of Snape's footsteps drew their attention to the door.

"What happened tonight Snape?" Sirius asked, he wondered suddenly who came when a Guardian died. Rhiannon looked pale, her dark lashes looked like bruises on her cheeks and her breathing was shallow.

"Voldemort Crucioed her until she screamed." Snape pulled out a potion bottle and handed it to Sirius, "Took him four bouts and almost thirty minutes."

"And you just stood there?" He yelled.

"I couldn't do anything, if I had tried we would both have been dead." Snape helped yank her boots off.

Remus pulled a blanket from her closet. "There isn't much we can do for her," he covered her up. "She's not going to die, we'd know it if she was."

"How can you be so sure. Look at her, she looks like a corpse already." Sirius growled.

"Trust me, we'd know." He didn't want to say it was because the man she was bound to would be dead already, so kept that to himself.

Sirius continued to hold her to him, taking some comfort in what Remus said, not so much the words but the tone he'd used. "Is it just me or does she get hurt every time she turns around?"

Snape nodded.

"She's always been like that." Remus replied. He conjured another chair and dropped into it. "She was hurt the night we met."

Sirius looked at his friend then Snape, who dropped into the rocking chair behind him.

"I could smell the blood on her, she didn't know that I knew. Lucius had torn open her leg." He shook his head and grabbed her hand, stroking her limp fingers. "She has a scar that runs from hip to knee on her left leg."

Sirius looked down, she wore a pair of fitted black leather pants, that must be what she was always rubbing at when she rubbed her thigh.

"He used to summon her in the middle of potions." Snape sighed. "He knew her schedule. She'd be back by dinner time, usually a bit bruised but every once in awhile I remember a broken arm or scratches."

"And nobody did anything?" Sirius glared at the men before him.

"There was nothing any of us could do. He had this charm, he made from her hair in her third year." Snape defended. "And don't blame Remus, he didn't even know her until after she left Hogwarts."

Sirius knew they were right, he shook his head, he hadn't even known her that long, who was he to get upset at them? This wasn't like him, before Azkaban he'd been more of a love' em and leave 'em kind of guy. So what was he doing getting so attached to a woman that was already bound to another man?

"You are right in that she is injured quiet often." Snape stood up, followed by Remus.

"She's going to have to marry one of us."

"And what about the guy she's bound to?" Sirius asked, feeling more than a bit jealous.

Remus answered this time. "Maybe it'll work out."

They left Sirius alone with Rhiannon. She was sleeping now, the muscles in her arms and legs jerking randomly. He picked up her hand straightening her fingers to match his own. There were small scars on her fingers and the backs of her hands which he guessed were from her working in a kitchen. Other than that she had soft pale hands with long fingers. Her nails were trimmed and clean. He rubbed a finger along her palm, feeling small calluses and scars there too. He sighed, shifting her until she lay on the bed. Her white robes she had been wearing lay on the floor, a small green bottle next to it. Sirius picked it up, looking at the bright light inside. It looked just like the bottle he'd seen in Snape's penseive. His attention was drawn to the mirror they'd pulled her from, he reached up to touch the glass and found it more liquid than solid. He could hear whispers and feel the same pull on him that he'd felt in the ministry. So this was her veil, he stepped away staring at the thing warily. She'd probably been trying to take the soul through when she'd passed out. He carefully sat the bottle on her table and dropped into the rocking chair to wait for her to wake up. It seemed like it was going to be a long night.


	18. A proposal of sors

-1Disclaimer- As always I own none of this but Rhiannon. She is mine but she likes Sirius better… cant say as I blame her haha

A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed!

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Chapter 18

A proposal of sorts

Rhiannon rolled over with a groan, her body was stiff and the sunshine streaming through the curtains was blinding in it's brilliance. She lay motionless for a moment trying to will herself back to sleep with no success. She sighed and opened her eyes, looking at the window with annoyance.

"How long are you going to let this happen?" A sleep roughened voice asked from the corner where her rocking chair was pushed. Sirius was sprawled in the seat, his shirt hanging open and wrinkled. He looked as though he'd had a rough night, she wondered quickly if he'd slept in the chair.

"Let what happen?" She pushed herself up and with some difficulty swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Merlin but she was stiff, her limbs were jerking a bit she noticed.

"Rhi, I've known you less than a month and have spent half the time patching you up. You have a way to stop it, I want to know if your going to take it." His eyes were silver with anger, as he stood up to pace. She watched him move for a long time, he was so graceful. He stopped suddenly to glare at her, reminding her she hadn't answered him.

"Um Sirius, cant this wait? My head is killing me, I'm hungry and I can hardly move." She stalled. She hadn't truly given the suggestion of marriage a thought. She'd never wanted to get married, but she was nothing if she wasn't smart. She knew it was logical to marry someone even if the stubborn half of her denied it.

"Come on." He leaned over and picked her up. She sighed at the feel of his warm chest. "I'll say one more thing about it then leave it alone until you're ready."

Rhiannon slid her arms around his neck, threading her fingers into his thick hair and twisting locks around her fingers. "what's that?"

"I want to marry you, if you choose someone else I will follow you around like a puppy dog until you give in."

She stared open mouthed at him. "What… I… And if I choose not to marry?"

"I'll make you." He grinned, "Snape said he has something to stop the jerking in your limbs." He carried her down the stairs, careful not to disturb the portrait of his mother as they passed it on the landing. He couldn't hold back his growl when she tugged his hair and laid her head on his shoulder. He could feel her hot breath on his neck and it was like torture combined with her scent.

Snape was seated at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the Daily Prophet when they came in.

"Here's your patient Snape." He sat her gently in the chair closest to the dark wizard, who gave them an impassive shrug.

"Go away mutt." He grumbled over the paper.

"And leave you alone with her. Yeah right Snape." He shook his head but was grinning as Snape looked up to glare at him, making Sirius wink at Rhiannon. "If he tries anything, I'll be in the library with Remus. Just yell." He kissed her cheek making her roll her eyes.

"Why did you send him away?" Rhiannon asked Snape after Sirius had left.

"Because he's a pretentious prat and was driving me nuts."

"He's always like that." She pointed out.

"Because he sat up next to your bed all night and hasn't had a shower since yesterday morning and therefore smells horrible." He tried.

"Nope, he always smells like that. Some muggle cologne and sunshine." She shrugged at Snape's raised brows, "And wet dog sometimes." She giggled.

"Yes well." He neatly folded the paper, levitated the coffee cup to the sink and pulled out a jar. "Here, give me your hand." He held out his own waiting for her to give him hers. She did so immediately. The Potions Master might be a arrogant Git but he'd proved himself repeatedly. He spread a generous amount of the sweet smelling cream across her palm.

"You use this on yourself don't you." She watched him rub the cream into her wrist.

"Yes, I created it. It'll stop your limbs from jerking." He gave careful attention to her fingers and elbow. "It's worse in the joints." He explained, working in silence for a few moments. "You should marry him."

Rhiannon sighed, did everyone have an opinion on her life? "Why do you think so."

"He cares for you. He sat up all night, by your side. That is something the Sirius Black I went to school with wouldn't have done for anyone."

Rhiannon shrugged. "Maybe I will. I don't know."

Snape held her hand as he rubbed the cream into her wrist. He paused a moment looking at the shimmering tattoo. He glanced up at her, recognition flashing in his eyes.

"Is that…" He was cut off by her hand covering his mouth.

"Don't say it. Don't speak it out loud or I will hex you." Her eyes flashed with something akin to panic. She waited for him to nod his agreement before dropping her hand.

"I would never have guessed." Snape admitted. "Makes sense though."

Rhiannon shrugged but watched Snape as he continued to work the cream into her hands.

"Can we talk about something else." She muttered.

"Sure." Snape leaned over and pulled her foot into his lap. Rhiannon was surprised at how comfortable they were around each other now. Barely a month ago she'd been annoyed by his mere presence, now she rather enjoyed his company. He understood the things she saw better than most and didn't really judge her because of how she dealt with the images.

"How many times have you been Crucioed?" Snape asked his greasy hair covering all but his nose as he leaned over her foot.

"A couple. Lucius favors the cutting curses, he likes to see blood more than hear screams." She tried to shrug it off.

"How many times have you taken the brunt of it for others?"

She smirked, he would know about that. "A few, once for Harry, a few for you. a lot for you, could you try to avoid that for a little while? I don't think I could withstand that curse for a while." She tried to joke it off but saw something flash in the man's eyes when he looked up.

"I hate knowing you do that for me. I hate knowing what you've seen me do, what I've had to do to stay alive."

"Severus, I've seen worse. I'm impressed by the mercy you show people when you can. I've seen you risk your life repeatedly to save them a bit of pain. You are a good man Severus. Don't forget that and don't be ashamed."

He shook his head to clear the guilty thoughts. "We have a meeting tonight. I would expect Dumbledore to ask you to make a decision."

"I know, I'll be ready." She reached for the plate of pastries in the middle of the table, growing silent as she ate.

"Oh I almost forgot," Snape held out a silver chain with tiny coins fastened to it, "you'll need this."

Rhiannon held out her hand "What is it?" She asked when he dropped it into her hand.

"It's a bracelet, charmed to heat up when Lucius tries to summon you using his charm."

"Huh, nice." She examined the coins "Pretty." She leaned over and fastened it around her ankle.

"I got the idea from your guard. Hermione specifically. She charmed a bunch of coins to alert the other members of the DA to when they were holding meetings after that idiot Umbridge turned the DADA class into a study session."

"She's a smart one our Hermione. Creative with her magic, she'll be a force to be reckoned with one day."

Snape agreed easily as he went back to his paper.

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"I'm going to marry her." Sirius grinned as he dropped heavily onto the leather sofa next to Remus.

"Oh? Did Molly finally agree to leave Author?" Remus had his nose stuck in an old book and barely glanced up.

"Uh no, the day that happens is the day I suddenly turn gay and start after you to marry me." Sirius snickered.

Remus raised his eyebrow, "That's it Padfoot, you've lost your talking privileges for ten minutes."

"But…"

"No, ten minutes. I don't want to hear a word from you." Remus went back to reading his book. Sirius bounced his foot and tapped his fingers until Remus finally gave in.

"Fine talk, I'm assuming you mean Rhiannon and am curious to know how your going to convince her."

"I don't know yet." Sirius grinned.

"Okay when is this going to happen?"

"Don't know."

Remus stared at the man he'd been friends with for more than half his life wondering how he'd missed him going crazy. "Do you know who you're marrying?"

"Yes, Rhiannon. I just need some help convincing her of it." Sirius flipped his hair out of his face.

"Are you asking me for advice on how to get a girl to marry you?"

"Um yes. I suppose I am, come on Moony. You know her better than I do, you've been friends for ever. How should I go about it?" Sirius looked down right pitiful.

"I obviously didn't know what I was doing, she wouldn't marry me." Remus held up his hands in mock defense.

"Please Moony."

Remus rolled his eyes, giving in. "Fine, just ask her. She likes the straight forward approach."

"Well I already did."

"And how did that go?"

"Well she didn't say no." He looked positive, Sirius had always taken a positive view of things.

"It's a start I guess." Remus looked around the library, "You'd think this would be easier given the elders interference." he mumbled.

"What do you mean? What did they interfere with?" Sirius glared at Remus.

"Just in allowing you to come out is all. You'd think they'd interfere a bit more and get her to marry you." Remus looked away guiltily.

"Who's she bound to Remus?" Sirius tried to catch the werewolf off guard.

"I can't tell you Sirius."

"Is it me?"

"No." Remus gritted his teeth

"Is it you?"

"No."

"Snape? Dumbledore? Lucius?"

"No, no, no."

"You're really not going to tell me are you?"

"No. Now why don't you go talk to Dumbledore about presiding over your vows." Remus opened his book, dismissing Sirius as well as he could and hoping he'd leave him alone about Rhiannon. He called out after a moment "And take a shower you disgusting mutt, you smell horrible."

"Damn, I thought Snape was joking… should have known better than that." Sirius changed directions and started for the stairs. "I will get you to tell me Remus. You know you can't keep a secret from me"

Remus sighed, he had to hide from Sirius, at least until the meeting or he'd drive him nuts trying to figure out who Rhiannon was bound to.

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Rhiannon walked carefully up the stairs, she felt much better though still a bit stiff, nothing a good hot shower wouldn't fix. She pushed the bathroom door open, surprised to find it full of steam. She could smell Sirius's cologne and sighed. The man was sex personified, that soft black hair and all those tattoos then there was his eyes, all gray and expressive, it was no wonder Remus had told her stories of Sirius being some kind of sex god in school. If he'd given her that wink in school she'd probably have melted into a big puddle at his feet. It wasn't much different now. She got in the shower, her imagination weaving images that would could have steamed up the bathroom quicker than the hot water she was standing under. She relaxed, and let her mind wander as she got out and wrapped a large soft towel around herself, tucking the edge between her breasts. The hall was quiet when she stepped out but Sirius's door swung open as she passed. It was as if he'd been waiting for her or something.

"merlin woman. Are you trying to kill me?" He growled.

"Oh Sirius, sorry." She adjusted the towel, trying to cover her thighs better but only revealing more of her breasts.

"Stop!" He whimpered reminding her oddly of a wounded puppy. "Just go in your room and lock the door."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't we're going to end up finishing what we started in the kitchen yesterday." He tried not to stare but couldn't really help himself. Her skin seemed to shimmer with the drops of water still clinging to her. His eyes flicked down to the bottom edge of the towel, he could see the long scar that Remus had told him about.

"Please don't stare at that. It's ugly." She moved her hand to cover as much of it as she could.

"Nothing on you is ugly Rhiannon." He crossed the hall to touch her face. She grinned and blushed wildly.

"A girl could get used to being told stuff like that." She looked up at him, "You look pretty good yourself. What are you all dressed up for?" She asked, he looked damn good in his black trousers and black silk shirt buttoned only half-way. She reached a hand up and traced a tattoo bisecting his chest with a finger tip.

He shuddered under her touch and flattened her hand against his chest "Gods Rhi, you could kill a man doing things like that."

"Huh, I wouldn't want to do something like that." she stood up on her tippy-toes to kiss him. Sirius growled low in his throat and backed her into her room. She kicked the door closed behind them with out braking the kiss. The towel fell to the floor when she let go of it to thread her fingers through the silken strands of his hair. He could feel her warm soft breast pressing against his chest where his shirt was opened and felt a tingle run down to his toes and back. Desprite to feel more he pulled his body away just enough to reach the last few buttons on his shirt and trousers. Free of clothing they fell onto her bed, giggling when they bounced off the mattress.

"So warm." She muttered arching up to meet his body. There was a flurry of movement and moans as they joined and found their rythem. Each getting louder as time past. Rhiannon thought she would go deaf in one ear by the time they finished and giggled when Sirius moaned the same thing about her screams.

"That… wow." Sirius was at a loss for words when he moved to face her and saw her eyes were still glazed with lust.

"Yep." She tried to slow her racing heart and breahing. "Why did we wait so long?"

"Guardian business, and I think we may be idiots."

Rhiannon laughed at him. "I wondered if you were gay for a couple days."

Sirius looked at her mock anger coloring his eyes. "That is insulting. I havent displayed any homosexual tendancies for a couple hours at least." he crossed his arms over his chest making her laugh even harder.

"You should do that all the time." he whispered, serious all of a sudden.  
"Whats that?"

"Laugh until your skin turns pink and your eyes dance. I feel it here when you do." He laid a hand over his chest and smiled.

"That makes two of us. What do you think that means Sirius?" She rubbed her tattooed wrist absently when it started to tingle.

"I don't know. But I think we'll figure it out." He tuged at a damp tendral of her hair, "For now I believe we should be getting ready for the meeting." He slid reluctantly from her bed and pulled on his pants, leaving them to hang from his hips as he crossed to her wordrobe.

"Don't you have clothes of your own?" She asked watching him flip through the hangers.

"Of course I do. But I want to choose something for you." He pulled out a lilac sundress and staired at it a moment. "This one, will you wear it for me?" He turned those big puppy dog eyes on her making her wonder if maybe he had been a dog in a past life. She couldn't deny him anything when he did that and hoped he never figured that out..

"Okay I guess but isn't it a bit nice for an order meeting?"

Sirius just winked at her and waited until she dressed, growning when she dug through her dresser for a matching bra and panties set.

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Down in the library Remus and Snape were talking quietly as they waited for the couple to come down.

"We have two words for you two." Remus said as they entered the room together.

"Whats that Remus?" Rhiannon asked leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"Silencing charm. For the love of the gods, and to protect our hearing please use one next time." Snape practically snarled, earning himself a wink from Sirius and a kiss on the forehead from Rhiannon.

"Sorry bout that boys, but nothing you can say will annoy me."

"Well of course not, you just got shagged, and by the sounds of it had a good time." Remus rolled his eyes.

"Youre just jelouse Moony." Sirius grinned.

"Sure that's what it is." Remus stood up and waved his wand at the fireplace lighting it easily. "Shall we?"

Rhiannon stood behind Snape as Remus flooed to the burrow,"oww oww oww, what the hell?" She hopped on one foot tugging at the chain Snape had iven her.

"Whats wrong?" Sirius grabbed her hips steading her as she tried to get the anklet off.

"Lucius is summoning her." Snape turned a grabbed the other side of the chain, pulling it from her skin and yelped in suprise as the chain burned his fingers. "It's supposed to get hotter as he gets madder. He must be right pissed for it it be like this."

Okay. Um I'll meet you guys at the burrow. I don't want him to go after anyone just to get me there." She pulled away from both men's grasp.

"Are you sure. Rhi, I don't think it's such a good idea." Sirius looked worried.

"I'll be fine, he probably just wants to torment me." She grined reassuringly at him but he could feel her aprehention. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She disappeard before anyone could argue.

"Come on. If nothing else I can go over to the Malfoy's and check on her." Snape turned and disappeared through the floo, followed closely by Sirius.


	19. Marrying a Mutt

-1Disclamer- I still don't own it… but I'd like to.

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Chapter 19

Marrying a Mutt

Sirius was pacing the kitchen at the Burrow, Rhiannon had only been gone a half hour but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening to her. So he paced, up and down in front of Snape and Remus. He could hear Harry and the other teens outside, tried to concentrate on their voices to take his mind off the woman they were waiting for but someone would say her name and his thoughts would return to the same loop of horrible scenarios.

"Calm down Sirius. She'll be okay." Molly tried to get him to sit down but he couldn't be still so he paced until everyone was dizzy. Sirius shook his head at her and rubbed at his shoulder, it had started bothering him a few moments ago for no reason, so he chalked it up to stress.

They were holding the meeting until Rhiannon got there. Kingsley and Tonks were talking quietly in the corner with Dumbledore, while Molly and McGonagall discussed transfiguring household items. Everyone was getting restless with the wait, glancing at the clock on the wall then following Sirius as he paced. The teens were coming in, clattering up the wooden steps to the kitchen and arguing loudly about where something should have gone outside, when Rhiannon suddenly appeared right next to Sirius, making Molly jump with surprise.

Sirius glared at her, noticing she looked a bit pale, but relatively unharmed. Her chest was heaving apparently in anger as she had her bottom lip held tightly between her teeth. Sirius reached out and touched her hand feeling instantly better that she wasn't bleeding this time and was in fact still standing.

"Fix my shoulder." She spoke through gritted teeth in a voice that bordered on a hiss.

"What did she say?" Molly rushed to her side.

Sirius ran his hand up her right arm from elbow to shoulder, stopping when she groaned in pain. He could feel the odd angle that the bone was in and rolled his own shoulder in response. He'd dislocated his shoulder enough times playing Quidditch with James and Remus to recognize the injury in someone else.

"Right here?" He asked looking around the room. It could be rather painful to fix her shoulder and wasn't sure if she wanted to scream or cry in front of everyone.

"Yes just put it back." She cried.

"Oh dear." Molly figured out what was about to happen. "Fred, George. Come over here." She motioned to the twins; they were about the same height as her, which would make it easier to hold her. They crossed the room, looking wearily at Rhiannon. "Hold her here." She wrapped Fred's arm over the shoulder that was dislocated and across her chest. "George, you help Sirius." The boys did as they were told.

"Ready Rhi?" Sirius asked grasping her arm just above the elbow and pulling it out straight then directing George on where to hold and how to pull. He was glad Molly had got the twins to help. He didn't think he would be able to hurt Rhiannon, even if it was to help her.

"Yes."

Sirius nodded to the boys and pulled her arm, impressed when she only whimpered. There was a sickening pop as the joint went back into place. Everyone in the room hissed in sympathy. But Sirius watched as her face turned green for a second before she took a deep steadying breath.

"Better?" He asked.

"Yes. Much. Thank you."

"What happened?" Molly asked pressing her gently into a chair and placing a cup of whisky laced tea into her left hand.

"Thanks" Rhiannon drank deeply from the cup and nodded at the group surrounding her before answering Molly's question. "Lucius found out how Draco lost his voice."

"You didn't give it back to him?" Remus yelled coming quickly out of the chair he'd just dropped back into.

"Yes, but he hasn't found it yet." She defended. "I gave it back, but he can't get it back until he learns when to talk and when to listen. I'll admit it wasn't the best idea to place that charm on it but it was all I could do to help him at the time." She glared.

"What happened to Draco's voice?" Tonks asked from across the room.

"I took it from him a few weeks ago when he said some less than flattering things." Rhiannon sat her empty tea cup down and rubbed at her tender shoulder. Most of the room grinned including Dumbledore who quickly sobered.

"Miss Hades, Severus and Sirius have told me about the events of the last few weeks, I hope that you have thought over Hermione's suggestion." Dumbledore stood up, crossed the room and touched her injured shoulder. She felt some heat then the pain was gone.

She smiled up at the wizard, "Yes I have thought about it. And discussed it and argued about it. I've made a decision." She looked to where Sirius stood just behind Dumbledore and asked with her eyes what she couldn't say out loud. He nodded quickly a large smile lighting his features.

"Do you do marriage rights Albus?" She asked.

The man smiled in his absent way "Why yes my dear, I do. Who may I ask who is the lucky man?"

"Sirius Black." She looked at the man and smirked.

"You can't be serious!" Molly yelled while everyone else just laughed.

"I am. I suppose we should get it done as soon as a license can be acquired." Rhiannon looked to Remus and Snape, grinning when she saw Remus pocket a handful of coins and Snape glaring darkly.

Sirius knelt down at her side and kissed her hard, smiling when her eyes darkened and glazed over. He'd never even given marriage a thought and although it may be just for show, or even just for a short while he planned on enjoying the experience. The room grew quiet around them as everyone caught onto the sizzle of magic in the air around the couple.

"The biggest problem is how does one obtain a license to marry a man that is technically dead?" Tonks asked drawing everyone's attention.

"The only way to get a license is to apply for one from the ministry, but then everyone would know Sirius is alive and we'd have to arrest him and send him back to Azkaban." Kingsley added. Both Aurors looked like they'd swallowed a slug.

Rhiannon refused to allow that to happen, she'd been into Azkaban a few times. She'd felt cold for days after, the Dementors having sucked all the warmth from her body. She hated the beings; they were the opposite of everything she was. They were created to destroy one's soul without regard to who the person was during life. She didn't want to see Sirius go back there.

"No, I won't let it happen." She spoke up now. "Maybe we can go to the states. Get married there. I know some people that could maybe pull a few strings and give us a license that way." She looked at Sirius who appeared to have just thought of the tiny snag in their plan.

"Or you could marry one of the others?" Molly suggested. Rhiannon turned to her, looked into her eyes and was surprised to find worry there. The woman worried about Sirius's sanity, about his grasp on reality. "You could marry one of my boys. Fred or George would be willing!" she shoved the pair forward.

"Oi mum! If you want us out of the house just say so." Fred yelped, and George nodded his agreement.

"No Molly, they are just boys." Rhiannon shook her head.

"Then Percy. Marry Percy." Molly nodded as if that was the final answer.

Rhiannon had seen Percy Weasley once and had taken an instant disliking to the boy he was so stiff and unyielding. Not to mention a kiss ass.

"No Molly." Rhiannon snapped, "I will not marry Percy either. I'm closest in age to Bill but even he's younger than me."

"Oh he'd be happy to help you." Molly grinned.

Rhiannon dropped her head onto the table in front of her, smacking her forehead against the wood a few times. When she looked up everyone was staring at her.

"Now Molly, listen closely. I will not marry one of your sons. I am going to marry Sirius if we have to hold an Auror or two at wand point to get the license. Your Boys will all marry in their own time if you'd just stop nagging." There were gasps of appreciation from Ron and the twins at that. "And Sirius Black is just as sane as I am so you can stop worrying about that too."

Molly stood with her mouth hanging open looking more than a bit like a fish in an aquarium for a moment before she spoke. "So all my children will get married?"

"Yes eventually if you stop nagging them." Rhiannon glanced at Sirius who she saw, much like the rest of the order members, was barely suppressing a laugh.

Sirius leaned down to her side and whispered, "How do you know that?"

"I don't. I'm guessing. Bill would have married right after school but Molly drove him nuts."

Sirius nodded. He was rather surprised that he'd never met Rhiannon before. They seemed to know most of the same people.

"As nice of a diversion as that was, we still need to figure this out." Dumbledore interrupted, his voice full of authority.

"Well I offer myself for the holding an Auror at wand point idea." Tonks called out.

"I wasn't Serious!" Rhiannon giggled at the woman's obvious excitement.

"But it may not be a bad idea." Snape mused. "We'd need someone a bit higher up than you Tonks."

"Aw gee thanks Snape." Tonks glared at him to which the dark wizard only smirked back.

They started arguing over whom best to use as a hostage much to Rhiannon's amusement until a resounding pop drew everyone's attention to the counter, where two black wrapped boxes and a large envelope appeared.

"The Elders." Rhiannon sighed rising to gather the items. The first box was small, about the size of ring box, and light. The second was larger and when she shook it she could hear something metallic rattling inside. Sirius took the envelope from her, easily loosening the seal to pull the contents out.

He grinned and held the papers out to her. "Well would you look at that. We can stop arguing now."

"What do you have there Mr. Black?" Dumbledore asked eyeing the papers

"Marriage license." Sirius handed it over to Dumbledore. "And terms?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of terms?" Rhiannon tried to read over his shoulder but was too short to actually see anything.

"We must be married with in twenty-four hours. We have to…" Sirius winked at her "We've already done that one. I have to go with you every time you are summoned. We have to reside within the same house for a year. And we have to sign this." He held out the list of terms, Rhiannon noticed the large gap between the last demand and the lines for signatures.

"More will appear before everything is done with." She shook her head. "The Elders do love to meddle with people's personal lives." She reached into the envelope Sirius held out to her and pulled out a quill. She signed her name with a quick flourish then passed the quill to him after he signed it the parchment rolled up with a snap and disappeared.

"When would you like to be married?" Dumbledore asked.

"Tomorrow." Rhiannon answered at the same time Sirius answered "Now."

"Sirius," She turned to the man. "We don't have anything here; I refuse to be married in an outfit Lucius touched."

"Well I'm sure you can find something to wear." He grinned at her.

"Sirius!" She glared until he leaned down and kissed her. Rhiannon felt giddy when he did that, tingles ran all across her skin and her heartbeat started racing. She put a hand on his chest intending to push him away but she felt his heart instead, the wild racing under her palm that matched her own. So he felt the same things as she did.

Sirius felt the moment she gave up on the argument and relaxed into his arms. He had meant only to get her to agree to marry him right now but was distracted by the little sighs she was making in the back of her throat. She sounded like a kitten purring he mused. The sound of Dumbledore clearing his throat made him pull away from her.

"Have we come to a decision?" He asked, eyes sparkling merrily at the pair.

"We'll be married in an hour." He looked down, grinning at Rhiannon's bemused smile.

"Fine you win this time." She sighed, "But that wont work every time you want something."

Sirius gave her a little wink and turned her around.

"Hey that box is open." He pointed at the smaller of the two boxes.

Rhiannon picked it up, dumping the contents into her hand. Two smaller boxes fell out. One marked with a large 'R' the other an 'S'. She picked up one and tried to open it, unsuccessfully then handed it off to Sirius.

She picked up the other and looked at it. The lid popped open instantly, revealing a thick silver band. Sirius looked up when his box opened at the same time.

"Oi, they really want us married." He smiled and held out a thinner silver band for her to see.

"Guess so." She nodded back.

"Well what are you two dunderheads waiting for?" Snape rolled his eyes, "You best get this done before someone else dies or Lucius decides just dislocating your shoulder wasn't enough punishment."

"Hmm Severus is correct. We should try and hurry." Dumbledore urged them on.

"Come on. I have a dress that might work for you." Ginny grinned at Rhiannon.

"Oh yes, we have to get you ready, only an hour. Heavens." Molly tugged her from Sirius's grasp and out of the room followed closely by every other female present.

"Well I suppose this will have to be your stag party then." Remus pulled a bottle of Firewhisky out of the cabinet and poured everyone a glass.

"You too boys." Sirius grinned and handed the younger boys glasses with significantly less in them. "We have to toast me on catching the best girl around."

"Poor girl; doesn't know what we pawned off on her." Remus grinned cheekily but was truly happy for the two.

"And she thought Lucius was a pain in the arse." Snape glared into his drink. "What a pity."

Sirius just grinned at the two men and glanced down at the set of rings he was still holding, they needed something.

Meanwhile upstairs Rhiannon was in the middle of the giggling women as Ginny threw dresses and jumpers out of her closet mumbling about each item as she went.

"Ginvera, you haven't even worn this jumper that your aunt sent you." Molly held up a garish pink jumper with kittens rolling all around the bottom.

"Mum, I never will." She pulled a light blue dress out and held it up. "Here we go. It might be a bit small but I'm sure we can do something with it."

Rhiannon grinned at the girl, the dress was pretty. She waved her hand at the dress changing this and that then slipped it on. "Well?"

"Nope not yet." McGonagall shook her head. "Keep trying."

Rhiannon glanced at the mirror the dress wasn't quiet right, they spent a few minutes glancing through magazines and making small changes until the dress was perfect. She felt beautiful in it, and when she looked into the mirror was surprised to see her eyes picked up and reflected the color.

"Here you'll need this." Luna had been sitting quietly in the coroner as usual working hard on something and now held out a ring of blue forget-me-nots. "Like the Muggles say, something borrowed something blue." She nodded towards the dress

"You still need something old and something new!" Hermione jumped off Ginny's bed where she'd sat down and rummaged through her trunk. She pulled out two small combs "Here's the something new." She held them out; still pinned to the cardboard they were bought on. "My mum bought them for me, but these things just get tangled in my hair. I never use them."

"Thank you Hermione." Rhiannon took them and quickly twisted them into her hair.

"Ten minutes left. Are you ready?" Tonks asked her colorful hair shifting between bubble gum pink and purple.

"I suppose. I never thought I'd get married. And it's not like I had a whole bunch of time to think about it."

She glanced down at the ring she had shoved on her thumb; it was such a plain ring.

She waved her hand, conjuring one of her green vials. It would be perfect. While everyone fussed around her, changing clothes and putting on make-up she smashed the tiny bottle, picking out a few small pieces.

"What are you doing dear?" McGonagall asked watching as Rhiannon yanked one of the coins off her anklet and sat it together with the ring and glass shards.

"Fixing Sirius's ring. It's too plain, not at all like him."

"You can say that again. Not a plain bone in that boy's body." The older witch shook her head, her lips pinched into a frown. "I could go another hundred years with out having another pupil like Sirius Black. Always in trouble that one. How he survived I'll never know."

"But you loved every minute of having him as a student." Rhiannon saw the truth behind the other woman's eyes.  
"Yes, just as I loved having James, Lily and Remus as students. They kept things… alive during a time when it could have been very bad."

"Oh well isn't that lovely." Molly peered over her shoulder at the ring. The thick silver band now had a thinner gold band running around the middle with small emeralds embedded on wither side.

"It's perfect for the boy." McGonagall smiled down at Rhiannon.

"Come on now, time's up." Tonks pulled open the door just as Remus raised his hand to knock.

"Ladies." He dipped his head, and grinned at them. "I'm here to escort you downstairs."

The women all giggled happily, trooping out of the tiny room.

"Remus, can I talk to you a moment?" Rhiannon asked holding him back.

"Of course my love." He sat down next to her on Ginny's bed, and waited while Rhiannon sorted through what she wanted to say.

Her thoughts seemed to disappear for a moment as she looked at her first love. She would always remember this moment, she thought with a sad grin. "Does it bother you that I'm marrying Sirius?"

Remus looked surprised; he could see the uncertainty in her pale eyes, "Rhi, love. I was the one who first suggested him remember? Sirius is like a brother to me and you like a sister…" He wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust, "Wait that's like saying your marrying your brother. Let me start over." He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "I am thrilled, beyond my wildest dreams that you and Sirius are marrying."

"You're not hurt that I wouldn't marry you?"

He gave a bark of laughter, "No, I'm a smart man if nothing else. We would have been miserable together. I know that and you know that."

Rhiannon relaxed visibly, she had been a bit worried about how Remus would react. To tell the truth, that had been one of the things that kept her from agreeing to marry Sirius right off. Men were strange and even though she and Remus weren't together anymore he may have had problems seeing her with his best friend.

"Now, there is a very nervous mutt downstairs waiting for you." Remus stood up, holding his hand out for her. "Are you ready to become an old married witch?"

Sirius was watching the garden door anxiously, wondering if it was possible to get cold feet in only an hour. Everyone else had come out and was seated at the large picnic table the children had set up earlier. The twins had done a spectacular job of charming butterflies and dragonflies to flutter around a pretty little arbor that groaned under the weight of hundreds of blue forget-me-nots. Sirius glanced back at Dumbledore who stood waiting behind him.

"If you screw up, I'll marry her." Snape hissed drawing his attention back to the door. He couldn't breathe, his heart twisted suddenly when he saw her. Rhiannon stood on the small porch, Remus behind her. She wore a long dress of the softest blue. The neckline was low, the skirt long, tangling around her ankles. Her hair was twisted up, pinned away from her face and circled with a blue halo. She walked towards him, a smile tugging at her full lips.

Sirius didn't hear the ceremony; just spoke when he was told to. Later he knew he would regret not listening at least a bit but now he could pull his attention from the dancing eyes gazing back at him.

Rhiannon was paying about as much attention to Dumbledore as Sirius; she couldn't believe how good he looked. His hair was pulled back and he was wearing all black. He'd buttoned an extra button in difference to the formal activities which made her smile at the effort. His gray eyes were fathomless, like one of the lochs scattered all over Scotland. She wondered what secrets he held in their depths and couldn't wait to find out.

They exchanged rings and laughed when they realized they'd both had the same idea as Sirius slid a silver band with on her finger along with an engagement ring of silver gold and emerald.

"It was my family crest," he whispered, his smooth voice sounding nervous, "I don't think anyone would mind if I made some changes to it."

She did something then that even Remus had never seen as magic swirled around the two in a rush of blue and red… she cried. Not great heaving sobs like some brides, just a few tears that slid down her cheeks and Sirius wiped away with the rough pad of his thumb.

When the time came to kiss the bride he did so happily, bending her back in a dip and kissing her senseless. The ringing applause of the order members broke them apart.

"I now introduce Mr. and Mrs. Sirius Black. Dumbledore raised his wand and the forget-me-not's petals rained down on them.

Hugs and pats of congratulations abounded as did food that Rhiannon suspected Dumbledore got from Hogwarts kitchens.

"Um Rhiannon." Harry had waited until she was alone, in the kitchen to approach her.

"Hullo Harry." She made the mistake of looking into his big green eyes. Fear and nervousness almost overwhelmed her. She found she loved this boy because after he'd been thorough and still feeling unsure of himself. She panicked some realizing she'd just married his godfather and never considered what the boy felt. "You okay?" She looked at the adorable mess of his hair and almost smiled knowing he wouldn't like being thought of as adorable. He was fifteen and so grown up, no he'd hate being thought of as adorable.

"I…" He started but snapped his mouth shut then shook his head, turning to rejoin the party.

"Harry?" She waited until he turned back to face her. "Does it bother you that I married Sirius?" He meant so much to Sirius; she could see that every time they saw each other, the way Sirius watched him.

"No it doesn't bother me. Sirius is happy. I've only really seen him smile, you know in his eyes that one time. Just before…well you know. But I saw it again today, when you said your vows. It was there in his eyes." He sounded so old, fifteen going on a hundred. She shook her head at the thought.

"Live with us next summer?" She asked.

"I couldn't." Harry shook his head but she saw the flicker in his eyes.

"Yes you could. I wont take no for an answer. Asking was just a nice way of telling." She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around the boy's shoulders, having to stretch to do that as he was already taller than her. SHe smoothed his hair in a burst of motherly instinct and adjusted his glasses, "Besides, you make Sirius happy too; you don't see the smiles he gets when you willingly hug him."

She felt something tingle along her spine, a memory and a promise she'd made years ago warring with her desire to be truthful with the boy. She opened her mouth to speak but Sirius burst through the door eyes dancing and a laugh in his voice.  
"Stealing my girl Harry? Hum you take after me I suppose." He wrapped them both in a bone crushing hug.

"Nope just talking." Harry smiled back.

"Important? Hope not because there are presents and Molly says I can't open them unless you are there my beautiful wife." He turned those big puppy dog eyes on her.

"Presents? From who? No one knew we were getting married." She shook her head but had an idea just who may have sent something. Sirius dragged them back outside, to the table where a small stack of gifts sat next to a small cake.

On the top was a squishy package which Sirius tore into with the glee of a child. There was a large afghan from the Weasley's. A long slender box from Dumbledore turned out to be a muggle letter opener, "Never know when you'll need one." He shrugged.

"Here," Remus held out a large flat gift wrapped in plain brown paper. "This came a couple minutes ago. With this." He held out a small ink bottle and painters quill.

"Athena." Rhiannon took the bottle, of course she would know, had probably seen this years ago being the Seer she was.

"Athena?" Something flashed in Sirius's eyes but was gone quickly. "Wonder what she sent." He tugged the paper off the package revealing a half finished painting they could see Hogwarts, the black lake and the womping willow. In the middle was a gap of only white next to the figures of Rhiannon and Sirius looking just as they did at that moment. A piece of parchment fluttered in the light breeze. 'One more piece, just a few to go until it's complete. All in due time' the straight letters spelled out.

"Now why would someone send you a half finished painting?" Ron asked glaring at the thing.

"Dunderhead." Snape rolled his eyes at him, even Molly and Arthur shook their heads.

"Paintings are like stories Ronald." Hermione reached out to touch the blank canvas "Obviously something else happens in the story."

Rhiannon and Sirius both glanced at Harry then caught each other and looked away at the last box on the table. The one from the elders. Rhiannon picked it up and shook it, looking for something to occupy her hands. It rattled so she opened it and stared confused at the contents.

"What is it?" Sirius asked looking over her shoulder.

"Is there something," she searched for the right word to use in front of mixed company and settled on "personal, you'd like to tell me?" She held up one of the two objects in the box, a pure white dog collar. It was thick and leathery, with a silver tag hanging from it. The other was the blackest of blacks, with a stone tag.

Snape started coughing, apparently to hide his amusement as everyone else started giggling.

"Rhi, I thought you knew, aren't you supposed to you know, be really good at Legimancy?" Sirius asked ignoring everyone else.

"Well yes." She defended, "But I try not to look if I don't have to." She glanced back at the collars. "What does that have to do with these?"

"I believe you have just been shown how Sirius is supposed to accompany you." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"I'm an unregistered Animagus." Sirius ducked his head.

"What?" She was confused, surely that would be something she would have seen in the teens memories.

In the blink of an eye Sirius disappeared a large calf sized black dog appearing in his place. He had paws the size of plates and Sirius' big gray eyes. The teens all rushed forward to pet him as if he was an old friend they hadn't seen in a while.

"Huh… well that explains the wet dog smell." Rhiannon stared at the dog when it butted her hip with its snout. "And why Snape calls you mutt." She scratched his head, well this was defiantly different. She was a married witch with a half mutt for a husband. She wondered with a bemused smile what else could possibly change today.


	20. Honeymoon Hell

-1Disclamier- I own nothing!! I only play with JKR's lovely toys sometimes. And if they go missing I had nothing to do with it… just don't look in my closet!!!

A/N- Sorry this has taken soooo long! I finally got a computer to replace my last one and it too died a horrible death. Alas I'm back to using my nana's. Oh well.

Thanks to my reviewers, Charlotte, Sirius-baby, Jadei123, LakshmiBlack and everyone else wow has reviewed. I love reading what you have to say and will take any suggestions you give.

6

Chapter 20  
Honeymoon Hell

Rhiannon and Sirius returned to Grimmuald Place alone late in the evening.  
The large townhouse seemed so quiet without the echoes of Snape's  
footsteps  
or the quiet flipping of pages as Remus read.  
"How did you stand being here alone for so long?" Rhiannon asked as they  
wandered into the library. "It's so quiet."  
Sirius knelt to reach something on the bottom shelf of a bookcase. "I  
don't know. I had a house elf named Kreacher, horrible little creature. He  
constantly mumbled to himself and to my mother's picture so it wasn't all  
that quiet. Harry sent him to work at Hogwarts when they thought I'd  
died."  
"Oh. Well we can get him back if you want." She reached out and ran her  
hand through Sirius's hair, ruffling it as she had done when he'd turned into a dog. She giggled at the glare she received for offering to get the house elf back. He growled softly making her giggle all the more when she scratched behind his ear. Their eyes caught and locked for a moment, Rhiannon felt a wave of warmth and tenderness from him. She moved her hand from his ear to his cheek, enjoying the feel of stubble on her palm.

"We're married." She sighed.

Sirius nodded, nuzzling her hand "I'll protect you Rhiannon. You know that right?"

"I know you will." She leaned down and pressed a kiss on his forehead.

Sirius went back to searching the bookcase after another moment.

Still hyped up on the sugary icing and champagne that Dumbledore had conjured from the Hogwarts kitchens, Rhiannon danced around the room swaying to music only she could hear.  
"Well aren't you the graceful one." Sirius turned to watch her and  
grinned at the way she moved with effortless grace spinning up on her bare  
toes, he wondered where her sandals had gotten to.  
"Hmm, eight years of ballet, my mother insisted on it. But it's so much  
more fun with some one else to dance with." She swayed provocatively  
holding out her arms to him. Sirius moved the book he'd pulled out to a higher  
shelf and sauntered into her open arms. With a flick of his wand the lithograph in  
the coroner started playing an old song about life being dreamy.  
"Sorry, Remus defiantly has an acquired taste in music." He winked  
before spinning her around and moving them easily into the steps of a waltz. Remus  
and she had never really clicked when they danced both unsure of the others  
movements. Sirius was not just good, he was an excellent dancer. He didn't  
miss a step even when the sofa got in their way, he merely changed directions and  
continued.  
"Do you practice that wink in the mirror or is it natural?" She asked.  
He gazed down at her slightly flushed face and sparkling eyes. He couldn't  
believe his luck, not only had he gotten married, but he'd married the woman of his dreams. "It's natural I suppose. Works well on the ladies I must say." He spun her again.  
"Yes well, my darling husband, you better learn to control that 'natural' habit of yours."  
"Oh is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" He hoped it was, not wanting  
to be the only jealous one in the relationship.  
"Not in the least." She looked away, lips pursed.  
"I'll let you believe that lie." He could see the truth on her face and  
was pleased.  
Rhiannon glared at him a moment but felt the beginnings of a tug on her  
heart and the nice buzz she'd had slip away. She ignored it, not wanting the  
world to intrude on this moment but the tug became more insistent.  
"We have to answer." Sirius mumbled next to her ear.  
She stopped suddenly "You can feel that?" She asked.  
He nodded, "It feels like something yanking on my heart."  
She stared at him in amazement as her white robes flew through the room into  
her outstretched hand. Her father had felt when her mother was being called  
but not until later. It had been years before he had felt the first calls;  
they were so soft and barely noticeable.  
"Yanking or tugging?" She slid the robe on.  
"Yanking." He watched her with curiosity; he could see the troubled look  
in her eyes.  
She tried not to look at him, and dug in her pocket for the dog collar. She kept herself occupied for a moment playing with the little silver tag attached to the plain white leather. RB was etched in a fancy curling script. He was her guardian she realized; 'they' had decided that. She jumped when he barked, having already changed into the huge dog with out her noticing. She buckled the collar around his neck, tugged her own hood up and disappeared.

"She should be here soon." Lucius glared at the bleeding witch lying on  
his floor, disgusting Mudblood. He kicked her hard with his booted foot,  
delighting in the cry she let out.  
His master hissed from a chair next to the fire. "She's taking a long  
time. Insolent bitch, I'll have to teach her some manners." Voldemort drank  
from a cup of the dying witch's blood.  
Bellatrix danced about the room, her eyes faraway and dreamy as she licked  
blood from her fingers. She paused in a turn and stared at the body lying on  
the floor, tipping her head to the side like an animal listening for a  
noise.  
She let out a cackle, "Not going to sing this time Guardian? Too scared to  
offer comfort? You should be; my lord will have your apology for making us  
wait." The crazed woman crossed the room leaning over the younger witch  
and grasping her neck. She dug her nails into the woman's neck, grinning like a child in a candy shop when drops of blood slid from the cresents made from her nails.

"It's so good to see Bella smiling again." Voldemort made a hissing sound that was almost laughter. "She pouted so when we let the little bitch go last time."  
Bellatrix tightened her grip, lifting the other woman off her feet. There  
was a horrid crack when Bellatrix snapped the witch's neck and a thud when she  
dropped the body like it was a piece of trash.  
"And why did you cut your fun short sister?" Lucius ran a hand down her  
back caressing her hip a moment.  
"Because dear brother." She traced the pale wizards jaw, leaving a trail  
of blood behind. "I want the other one, the itsy bitsy guardian. I want to  
feel her blood on my hands and see our dearest lord drink from her." She  
leaned forward, lapping up the blood she'd smeared on him.  
"Always thinking of others," Lucius purred proudly, "you are so  
unselfish."  
"I want her to pay for what she did to Draco." She hissed.  
Rhiannon dropped her hood. "You've got to be stupid as well as crazy if you think I'm going to let you close enough to me for you to get any kind of revenge."  
"Aren't you going to bow to your master?" Bellatrix screamed, angered  
by Rhiannon's supposed lack of manners.  
"I have no master. Human," She sneered at Voldemort, "Or other  
wise."  
She saw Bellatrix's intentions before she flew across the room, her hand  
raised to slap her. The snarling dog came out of nowhere, eyes flashing and teeth barred  
stopping Bellatrix in her tracks.  
"What the fuck is that?" Lucius yelled watching as the huge dog gathered  
on its haunches; waiting for someone to move.  
"A dog, I thought you were smarter than that Lucius." She made a tsking  
sound.  
"Remove it now!" Voldemort hissed; his patience with the woman was  
coming to an end.  
"No."  
Anger made the snake's eyes glow red. "Remove it or I will remove it for  
you. And trust me; you will not like what is left if I have to do it." He  
raised his wand.  
Rhiannon glared back at him, then flung out her hand without looking away.  
Light burst from her palm and engulfed the large snake that was slithering  
around the rafters above them. "Touch my familiar and I'll kill yours."  
The snake was twisting and writhing trying to get away from the light cast upon it.  
"Let her go!" Lucius bellowed moving quickly towards Rhiannon only to be  
pushed away when Sirius started to pace menacingly, growling his  
disapproval at the movement.

"Back off Lucius, he's not well trained." She stepped forward moving  
with Sirius and keeping her eyes on the trio.  
"You will listen to me!" Voldemort screamed.  
"You have no hold over me."  
"I do." Lucius held up the charm made from her braid. "And in turn my  
lord has control over you."  
Rhiannon gritted her teeth, they would go back to killing to get her  
attention if she gave away that the charm didn't work. This tonight had  
been for their entertainment, her presence was just an added bonus. She narrowed  
her eyes and released the snake before patting her thigh to call Sirius back  
to her side.  
"Remove him." Voldemort hissed.  
"I can't. He is tied to me; The Elders didn't like how I was being  
treated." She lied easily, knowing her thoughts couldn't be seen by  
even the most experienced of Legilimens unless she wanted them  
to.  
"Then keep it away from us." Voldemort picked up his glass and drank  
deeply, relishing in the disgusted look the Guardian shot at him. "I have  
plans for you my dear Guardian."  
"And what are they?" She watched Bellatrix out of the corner of her eye;  
the woman was shifting from foot to foot.  
"You will get me Harry Potter's soul." He hissed.  
"And if I don't?"  
Bellatrix shifted again.  
"I will tie you to a table and let every one of my followers have a go at  
you. When they are done I will allow Bellatrix to do what she  
pleases to what is left of you. Mind, some of my followers do enjoy blood more than  
others."  
Rhiannon felt him pushing at her mind and allowed him some access. An image  
of Snape gutting a woman, eyes gleaming when blood sprayed over him flashed  
behind her eyes. She knew the image was untrue but still, it made her stomach roll. Sirius growled low in his throat letting her know that he was seeing it also.  
"I would rather that than see you come to power." She hissed.  
"Oh, such courage. Like I said; I will bend you to my will, one way or another."  
"Good luck with that" She snapped.  
"Insolent witch!" Voldemort hissed and raised his wand. At the same  
moment Bellatrix dove for her. Sirius jumped, butting her with his head and  
landing on the witch, his plate sized paws holding her to the ground.  
"Crucio." Both Voldemort and Lucius hit Rhiannon at the same time.  
Sirius was on her in an instant, clamping his jaws on her robes and  
apparating them out. He'd never apparaited as a dog before and found it  
somewhat disconcerting.

They landed hard the floor in Rhiannon's room, a whimper the only sign  
that she felt it.  
"That went well." She groaned.  
"You got Crucioed by both Voldemort and Lucius," Sirius unbuckled his collar and dropped in in her outstretched hand. "I think that makes me a shitty Guard dog. Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, they sort of canceled each other out. The spells hit in front of me, I just got a bit of the backlash. I would have gotten worse had you not been there." She put her robes and his collar back in the closet, pulling out the small bottle she held the witch's soul in. "Then again, if I could learn to keep my mouth shut, I probably wouldn't get half the curses I do."  
"Well, I was going to say." He grinned at her knowing he would  
act the same way if he was being taunted.  
"Ha-ha. I know I need to shut up, but really where does that disgusting,  
snake faced- bastard get off saying Severus does that kind of thing?" She  
raged, "He's never done anything like that. He's merciful. Just  
don't tell him I told you."  
Sirius watched her pace, the little vial with the bouncing light clutched  
tightly in her fist. "Love, let's do what we need to do with that before you  
shatter it." He gently pried the bottle from her hand.  
"Yeah, right, okay." She crossed to the mirror and ran her hands down the  
ornately carved sides. He watched her close her eyes and whisper something.  
Finally she pushed something across the top of the glass. The mirror rippled  
like the surface of the black lake their images distorting.  
"Come on." She held out her hand to him, feeling herself relax with his large warm hand wrapped around hers.  
"I don't know, I think I may have had enough of veils to last me a lifetime."  
She giggled and tugged him through behind her. Sirius had been expecting the same blinding white space he spent so much time in, or the cliffs and valleys that appeared when she came for him. What he stepped into looked remarkably like his backyard. It was a tidy garden, over flowing with flowers and shade trees growing untended. A neat row of low stone gates stood directly in front of them making up the far wall.  
"See it's not so bad, if you're supposed to be here." She took the  
bottle from him and uncorked it. The light rose slowly and floated towards  
the gates, taking the shape of a woman.  
"She's supposed to be here. When you die, your soul knows where it is  
supposed to go. At least usually; pure souls know where to go." She waved to  
the woman as she turned to glace back at them before disappearing through a  
low gate.  
"And impure souls?" Sirius asked looking around them.  
"They get pulled through there." She nodded at a large dark gate. No  
grass or flowers grew around it making the area a desolate gap in the  
beautiful garden. There was a chill emanating from the gate that  
seeped into Sirius's bones making him shiver.  
"Don't stare too long at it." She grabbed his hand and tugged him  
away. "It will corrupt your soul."  
They reentered her bedroom, the mirror returning to normal behind them.  
"It's peaceful there. Except for that one corner, it made me cold."  
"Yeah it's always like that, you get used to the chill; it just takes a  
while." She dug in her closet until she found what had to be the rattiest  
sweater he'd ever seen. She turned to her dresser, pulling out what looked  
like a pair of men's pajama bottoms. He dropped down onto her bed watching  
her move with fascination. She untied her hair, the knot at the back coming  
down in a fall of honey colored ringlets. The dress was next her fingers  
working the row of buttons down her back easily, revealing a set of scarlet  
undergarments. He started drooling; her skin was silky in the light of the  
fire that had sprung to life with a wave of her hand. She moved quickly  
across  
the room to a small mirror and picked up a brush. He'd never seen anything  
as erotic as his wife changing clothes. She dropped the brush back on the  
dresser and pulled off her bra, giving him a great view of her large creamy  
breast just before she tugged the sweater over her head.  
"What are you staring at?" She asked her opaque eyes flashing in the  
light.  
"Your eyes," He patted the bed next to him. "They flicker in the  
light,  
like a cat."  
"Yeah I know, it's strange." She looked suddenly  
uncomfortable.  
"Not strange, different yes. But then, I'm an escaped Azkaban inmate  
that can turn into a dog, whose best friend is a werewolf…" He shrugged.  
"Plus I spend most of my time shut in my family home, that's full of  
dead or half dead creatures that would just as soon tear a person to shreds as  
meet them. I may not be the best judge of strange."  
Rhiannon stared at her husband blankly for a second before she burst out  
laughing. "I'm strange and you're nuts… we make a great pair."  
He loved the sound of her laugh, the giddy tone that wove through it. He felt his body stirring at it "Do you have any idea what that sound does to me, witch?" He  
growled reaching out to touch her hip.  
"Wha… what sound?" She breathed deeply her breath hitching.  
"Your laugh and that breathy little moan when you realize I want to kiss  
you." He shifted to his knees, looming over her so she had to lean back.  
"I don't… You want to kiss me?" She scooted back only to have him  
follow.  
"Yes I do, very much. You taste like Irish cream and sweets." He leaned down and captured her lips with a bruising kiss. "Yep, just like sweets."  
She giggled again as she slid her hands up his arms and around his neck.  
"And your scent," He nuzzled her neck, "Irish cream and linins. Makes  
my mouth water. You know I spent all my time in my room just trying to  
escape this scent. But I couldn't, you'd come out of the shower and there it  
was, filling my head with images of you, and that bar of soap you always left on  
the tub." He was nipping at her throat as he spoke, savoring the little moans and sighs she was making. "Now you're my wife, I can watch you bath if I want to."  
"Or you could join me." She said breathlessly as her husband continued  
to kiss his way down her body, shoving the sweater out of his way as he went.  
Sirius's last coherent thought as Rhiannon started returning his attentions was that he was quiet possibly the luckiest wizard alive.


	21. The Order Meeting and the Missing Spy

Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot, everything else belongs to JKR

A/N- Sorry this took so long, I finally had to buy a computer, which meant transfering all my files to the new one. Happily this time I remembered to buy a flashdrive just in case.

Hope you enjoy the chapter please Read and Review and thanks to all who do.

Chapter 21

The Order meeting and the Missing Spy

The morning dawned bright and warm on the sleeping couple. They both groaned as the sun washed over them, streaming through the thin coverings on the windows.

"Gods woman, couldn't you have conjured thicker drapes?" Sirius groaned tightening his hold on Rhiannon's waist.

"I don't usually sleep late enough to have the sun bother me." She snapped and tried to bury her head in Sirius's chest. Why couldn't coffee just appear at her bedside? She wondered silently.

"Well aren't you just a morning person." He grabbed blindly for the blankets that had been kicked off in the night and yanked them over their heads, grateful they were thick enough to block out most of the light. "Look at that, our own little world, where the sun doesn't intrude."

"Hmmm I wish that were true." She nuzzled him, getting past her initial grumpiness "But I'm hungry and I would bet you are too. How about, I make breakfast and you clean up the room?"

"Ah and so the orders begin. I will not be your house elf witch." He grumbled playfully.

"Then I won't be your personal chef." She sat up suddenly, letting the blankets pool around her hips and stretched her arms over her head giving him a lovely view of her breasts.

"Give me food woman!" He pulled her down and rolled over her, his fingers dancing along her ribs making her laugh.

"I give! I give!" She was out of breath, her skin flushed chest heaving with hiccups of laughter.

With a self-satisfied grin Sirius let her up before stretching and gathering the clothing strewn about the small bedroom. He looked around and found he preferred the smaller brighter room to the dark masters chambers that still held the scent of his mothers smothering perfume. He grimaced at the mere thought of waking up in that room.

"Sickle for your thoughts husband." Rhiannon wound her arms around his waist, playfully nipping his back.

"Just wondering if you could do the same thing in the master bedroom, or to the rest of the house that you've done to this room."

"I could, I suppose. If you really want to live here the rest of our lives." She slid around him, keeping her arms locked around his waist. He found he liked the way she was touching him this morning, not sexual. Just showing affection. He wound a tendril of her hair around his fingers and thought about what she said. Truth be told he hated this house, hated the colors, the smells the memories everything.

"I really don't want to live here, but we're safe in this house."

"Maybe we should talk to Dumbledore. He might be able to suggest a place." She looked so sweet staring up at him, he wanted little more than to stand in that spot and play with the silken honey that was her hair. Unfortunately his stomach protested rather loudly at that thought, making both of them laugh.

"Come on dear husband, I'll cook us breakfast." She grabbed a robe from her wardrobe and tugged him into the hall.

"YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE WORM!!" His mother's painting screamed at them.

"Morning mother Black." Rhiannon said cheekily as they passed her.

"YOU! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE A BLACK! SIRIUS, THE SCUM OF OUR FAMILY, MUGGLE LOVER! BLOOD TRAITOR!! BRINGING SUCH SCUM INTO THE FAMILY. MUDDYING THE GOOD NAME OF BLACK."

Rhiannon paused halfway down the stairs turned and dragged her husband back to the portrait. She glared at the spittle spewing woman for a long moment before flashing a grin that would put even the most devious Slytherin to shame. "Say those things again and I'll make you sorry you even thought them."

"YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE A DISGRACE TO THE FAMILY! UGLY LITTLE UNWANTED BASTARDS. GODS FORBID YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ANY WHELPS!"

"Keep it up and I'll shag my husband stupid right here on the landing. We'll see how quick we have children then. We won't stop until we have a family to rival the Weasley's. I'll make sure everyone of them is male to carry on the Black family name and that they each marry muggle women!" Rhiannon glared at the woman.

Sirius felt odd standing between the portrait of his dead mother and the living breathing woman that was his wife while they held a silent battle of wills. After what seemed like hours but could have only been moments his mother harrumphed and moved out of the frame.

"You are scary." He looked her up and down then back at the empty frame. "I don't know that she's ever left that frame."

"Hmm. We are not taking that with us when we move." She continued down the stairs, calling over her shoulder "Put something on husband, before you catch your death."

Sirius stared after his wife in amazement.

"She's a bossy bit of goods." one of the portraits grinned from the opposite wall.

"Yeah she is." Sirius agreed, deciding it best to do what she had said.

The pan on the stove was sizzling and popping energetically as Rhiannon dropped thick slices of bacon into it between flipping pieces of French toast.

Sirius walked in and sighed, "If you weren't already married to me I'd steal you away and beg you to make this stuff every morning." he tried to pilfer a strip of bacon from the plate next to her.

"Don't even try it." she swatted at his hand before sending a cup of coffee sailing through the air to him.

"Did you mean that about a family big enough to rival the Weasley's?"

"No I want kids but not quite that many." She slid the last of the toast onto a platter with the bacon and dropped it in front of him.

"There's going to be an Order meeting tonight. I suggested we have it here."

"Okay that's fine." Sirius said around a mouth full of the sweet breakfast food. He glared at the floo when it rang announcing visitors.

"Sirius? Rhiannon? Are you guys up?" Harry's voice echoed from the other room.

"In here Harry." Rhiannon called opening the cupboard and setting out six more plates. Sirius raised his eyebrow.

"Like they'd let him run around alone." She answered his silent question as the six teens trouped into the kitchen. "Grab a plate and get eating." She ordered.

"Wow love." Sirius eyed the large platter she was pulling from the oven. "You made enough for an army."

Rhiannon smirked, "No I made enough for Ron there."

The red heads plate was overflowing and his mouth was already full. Ginny was staring at her brother in amazement while Neville and Luna shyly filled each others plates.

"You knew we were coming over?" Harry asked.

"I had an idea. What did you want to talk about Harry?" She asked dropping into the chair next to Sirius.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to see you guys before I went back to the Dursleys." Harry shrugged before stuffing a large bite into his mouth.

"Slow down or you are going to choke." Rhiannon said automatically.

"Sorry ma'am." Harry put his fork down a moment.

"That goes for you too Ron." She glared at him until he too put his fork down. "And you two get to eating." She watched until Hermione and Ginny each ate part of their toast, satisfied that Luna and Neville were doing alright on their own.

"What's this about going back to the Dursleys?" Sirius growled not liking the idea of Harry returning to his Aunt and Uncle.

"Dumbledore thinks it's for the best if I finish out the summer with them." He answered. "But I get to go back to the Burrow for my birthday." He grinned.

Sirius didn't like it. He would rather Harry just stay at the Burrow until he and Rhiannon could find a home.

Rhiannon laid her hand on his arm and shook her head, silently telling him to stop scowling.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked wanting some reassurance.

Harry shrugged obviously unsure about going back.

"We are going to visit as often as we can." Hermione supplied, "Dumbledore thinks it would be less obvious if we went rather than a bunch of Aurors."

"Yes, he is right." Rhiannon nodded. "We will visit also."

The teens had left a couple hours later, intent on seeing Harry all the way to the Dursleys. Rhiannon had sent the boy out like any mothering woman worth her salt would, struggling under the weight of a bag filled with foods and with a stern glare that said he better eat every bite or she would know.

"He's too skinny." She argued when Sirius jokingly called her Molly junior. "His Aunt would kill us if she knew we sent him out of here knowing he wasn't eating." She slapped her hand over her mouth and stared wide eyed at Sirius when he turned surprised gray eyes on her. She reminded him of a child that just spilled a big secret.

"What do you know?" He growled.

"Nothing." She refused to look him in the eye.

"You know something." He moved quickly around the dining room table where they had been setting up drinks.

"No." She moved as he did, keeping the long table between them.

"Don't lie. What do you know?" He faked left but ran right, catching Rhiannon off guard and around the waist.

"Damn. Let me go!" She shrieked and giggled as Sirius struggled to get her turned around to face him.

"What do you know?" He asked again. The floo rang, announcing the order members. "We will finish this later." He glared at her.  
"No we won't. I made a promise Sirius, I can't break it without permission." She stared into his eyes begging him to understand.

"Wotcher, Sirius, Rhiannon, half thought you'd still be too busy shagging like a couple of rabbits to host a meeting." Tonks grinned at them, leading Kingsley into the kitchen behind her. Rhiannon cringed when she tripped over the legs of the table and knocked a stack of napkins onto the floor, but was grateful for the distraction. That had been a close one, she'd almost given up one of her closely guarded secrets.

"Hullo Tonks, Kingsley." Rhiannon nodded.

"Wotcher cousin. Kingsley." Sirius smirked at his overly clumsy cousin, deciding he'd give Rhiannon clemency, for now. Remus was the next to arrive, he hugged both of his friends, adding a smacking kiss to her cheek just to annoy Sirius.

Molly and the rest of the Weasley clan, minus the younger kids and their guests, shuffled in. They were a rowdy bunch, brining life to any event. Rhiannon hugged the two oldest boys happily, it had been a while since she'd seen Bill and Charlie. They had been below her in school, but not by much.

"The younger children are staying at Mrs. Figgs' house." Molly explained, shoving Fred and George further into the room and settling them at the table with plates of snacks, treating them as she would her younger children.

"Albus and Minerva were right behind us." Author pulled off his glasses and cleaned them on the edge of his shirt. Rhiannon liked the balding patriarch of the Weasley family, he reminded her of her own father.

"We are here." Dumbledore breezed into the room, McGonagall following closely behind. A few more members joined them tonight, some that Rhiannon recognized and some that she didn't. The kitchen filled quickly, a low roar of conversation drowning out the ringing of the floo and the clocks on the walls.

"We're just missing Severus." Dumbledore stood, drawing all attention to himself. "He was called away earlier and should return soon. But I believe we should start now."

The next couple of hours was filled with reports on Death eater attacks in small outlying towns. There were reports from inside the ministry where it was believed Voldemort had spies in place to take down the system when the time was right. Rhiannon couldn't stop her eyes from drifting to the clock near the door. A strange feeling had settled in the pit of her stomach when Snape still hadn't shown up two hours into the meeting. Sirius' warm hand sliding over hers drew her attention from the clock, he nodded, his gray eyes showing his own unease.

"Lets take a small break and eat." Molly suggested when Kingsley sat down. The group nodded in agreement, quickly disbursing and filling plates of food.

"Somethings not right Sirius, Severus should have been here." Rhiannon pulled him into the library.

"Maybe he just got caught up. A revel or something." Sirius offered, trying to ignore the sense of foreboding that fell over him.

"No, revels mean death and we would have been called if there was going to be a death." She paced the large room, sidestepping the sofa and table.

"There may not be a witch or wizard involved with it. We wouldn't be called then."

"No, even when it's muggle, the other Guardians contact me. I go to offer any support I can. How do you think I've been there with that Git so many times when he's been stupid enough to get crucioed?"

Sirius watched his wife pace, unsure of what to do to ease her. She was reverting to calling Severus names, that couldn't be a good thing. She kept moving, her hands straying repeatedly to her hair, shoving the loose curls out of her eyes before she rubbed the tattoo on her wrist.

"He'll be here Rhi. If not we'd know it." Sirius mirrored her motions, pushing the locks of hair that had strayed from the tie holding it out of his eyes.

"Do you know how long you can keep someone alive but just barely."

"Yes love, I do. But Severus is…" He searched for the right word, "resourceful. If anything really bad happened we would know."

Rhiannon stared at him, worry for a man she grudgingly admired shinning in her eyes. "You're right."

She sighed still looking agitated. "It's just, I never really liked him in school. But after I left, when Voldemort came back and I saw all that he went through for the order and the wizarding world. He's a right bastard, but he's a good man."

"I know love. He will show up." He wrapped his arms around her tightly, wanting to reassure her but not knowing how.

A soft knock on the door announced Molly a moment before she pushed the doors open. "Albus decided we could end the meeting for tonight. Without Severus we can't go any farther." She explained, worry glinting in her warm motherly eyes.

"Thank you Molly. We'll be right out." Sirius answered turning back to his wife. "Are you going to be okay?"

"No, not until Severus turns up." She sighed but pushed away from him all the same, keeping a tight hold on his tattooed hand. They waved the group out gaining a promise from Dumbledore that if Severus returned to Hogwarts he'd contact them.

The kitchen had been cleaned, the leftovers put away and chairs returned to their places before the couple made their way upstairs. Rhiannon decided to redecorate the master bedroom. She spent two hours, using freshing charms to remove the heavy perfume that hung in the air and charmed the walls to a cheery yellow. It took a while and a good deal of persistence when the walls kept turning back to the ugly musty green but by sheer will the room looked much better when she was finished.

"He hasn't shown up yet." She mumbled as Sirius carried a small box, filled with her clothes.

"I know love. But he will." He spoke absently, arranging her clothes in the dresser and wardrobe.

"Oh when do I get to see you in this?" He held up a gauzy scarlet teddy looking at her hungrily.

"Later if you're good." She grinned but it didn't reach her eyes. He sighed, his hope had been to distract her for a while longer but he could see that wouldn't work, her mind was sent, just as the tug he felt was set, telling him something was wrong.

"Come on." He waved towards their bed. She followed obediently, dropping onto the soft white comforter. He grasped the edge of her t-shirt and tugged it over her head. Then slipped her bra off, pulling the soft cotton sheets down to the foot of the bed.

"Sirius, I'm not in the..." she started sounding weary.

"I know." He pushed her face down, moving to straddle her thighs. He adjusted her arms to his liking before settling into rub her shoulders. In the very least he could ease the tension he felt pouring off her, it was a simple enough charm, one he'd used often as a teen. His voice was silky, his words measured to relax her when he spoke.

"Your skin is so soft. Like silk, I wondered about this when I locked myself in here every night, listening to you move around imagining you undressing." He found a knot and gave extra attention to that spot.

Rhiannon would have drooled if she had even that much strength at the moment but worry had drained most of her energy before Sirius' massage robbed her of the rest. She could feel her muscles turning to liquid and her eyes growing heavy.

Sirius could sense the exact moment Rhiannon fell asleep, his own heart slowed and some of the worry he was feeling seeped out of him. He continued rubbing, enjoying the feel of her skin under his hands, the contrast between her creamy back and his darker hands. He worked his way down slipping one hand under her to unsnap her denims and slide them over her hips. He quickly stripped out of his own clothes, dowsed the lights and carefully pulled the bedding around them. His eyes grew heavy as he watched over his wife and before long he too was asleep.

Sirius' eyes flew open, he wasn't sure what had yanked him from the warmth of his dreams, but something was wrong. He shifted, feeling for his wand under Rhiannon's pillow and waited. There it was again, a pounding coming from somewhere downstairs. He pulled his arm out from under his wife trying not to wake her, but the effort was pointless as she sat straight up, wide awake. She looked about wildly, her eyes glinting in the light from the dying fire.

"Severus." She jumped from the bed, pausing only long enough to grab Sirius' rumpled shirt and running for the door. He followed her down the stairs, wearing a pair of baggy pajama bottoms and feeling an urgency he'd never known before. She stumbled more than ran and was at the door well before him, wrenching it open and catching the bundle of black cloth that fell into her open arms.

"Help." Severus wheezed, collapsing with the effort.

"Merlin, what did they do?" Sirius hissed taking the weight off Rhiannon and settling it on himself. He could feel the warm blood dripping from Severus' body, and onto his own. But that wasn't what worried him, he felt something cold slipping through his soul and instinctively knew it had something to do with Severus slipping away.

"We need to hurry." Rhiannon's voice sounded odd, almost hollow when she spoke. "Put him on the kitchen table." They struggled under Severus' weight, maneuvering him onto the long wood table. He looked paler than Sirius had ever seen him, his cheeks sunken showing hollows in the bright lights Rhiannon had conjured.

"Severus? Severus can you hear me?" She felt for a pulse, finding only a weak one.

"Severus open your eyes." Sirius leaned over prying the Potions master's eyes open.

"Cant... breathe..." blood dripped from his thin pale lips before he lost consciousness.

Rhiannon shifted,and held her hands over his chest, a bright blue light encompassing Severus and the table. The light pulsed weakly until it darkened to a blood red orb over his chest. "His robes," she dropped her hands, "we need to get them off to see where all the blood is coming from."

Sirius reached for a button but snatched his hand back when sparks singed his fingertips. "He's warded."

Rhiannon looked over Severus's still form. The pale wizards chest was rising and falling rapidly, his breathing shallow and skin clammy. She could feel the insistent tug on her heart but refused to believe he couldn't be saved. She took a deep breath and concentrated on helping the man. Her fingers fumbled for a moment, the wards on the death eaters robes were strong. She winced at the initial burning of her fingertips but ignored it, working the buttons of Severus's robes loose. He wore a tight fitting Dragon hide vest underneath the warded robes and over a white shirt that was only a tattered, bloody mess. She took a deep breath and loosened the vest. Blood sprayed across the table when Severus exhaled coating, her hands and face with the warm liquid.

"Oh shit." Sirius covered the bloody hole in Severus' chest he'd never seen anything like that. He wanted to feel worried of upset but found himself numb when it came to the Potions master.

"He doesn't have long." Rhiannon looked up at Sirius, her eyes were tinged black, as was the tips of her hair, he was surprised and didn't know his own silver eyes were turning black to match hers. She held out her hands pulling as much of Severus' pain into herself as she dared, knowing to take all of it would mean death for him. She slipped into his mind, trying desperately to see what had happened and how they could help him.

She couldn't see anything, but could hear people moving in his memory. There was the sting of whips on her chest and something else, she felt like someone had stuck a hot iron into her lung. A second later there were voices and hissing from behind her.

"_It broke master"_

"_Cut him down. I want him out of my sight. Send him back to Dumbledore to heal, I don't have the time or the inclination." _

With a jolt she returned to her body, the sting of lashes still fresh on her body and looked into Sirius' half black eyes, there was a coldness there that she understood.

"There's something in his chest, his lung is collapsing." She placed a stasis spell over him freeing Sirius to move his hands. When he did blood continued to seep out sluggishly from the wound. It was jagged, barely the size of her fingertip, and at the end of a particularly deep set of lashes.

"Accio..." she stopped unsure of what she was trying to summon, "Accio res." She tried hopefully, but nothing happened. "Accio arma." still nothing. She turned her tear stained face to Sirius.

He didn't like what was happening to his wife or himself, she looked as cold as he felt, her eyes were almost all black, her hair and lips completely black.He had to do something to help her. He turned to the cupboard drawers, yanking each of them open, sending quills, bits of twine and other objects skittering across the floor as he searched for a pair of muggle pliers he'd seen once. He found them shoved into the back of a draw filled with some kind of fur and nail clippings. With a flick of his wand they were sterilized, and concentrating on the few first aid lessons Poppy had given him and James so they could help Remus after the full moon.

"Go call Poppy, get Dumbledore here, they'll know what to do." Rhiannon placed her hands on either side of Severus' head, enchanting him into a deeper, coma like sleep.

Sirius nodded absently, turning to the large fireplace, throwing a bunch of floo powder into the cold hearth he waited a second and was about to call out for Hogwarts when a heavy package flew out, nearly hitting him in the face.

"Use this" was scrawled across the loosely wrapped package. Sirius unwrapped it, finding a heavy muggle magnet.

"Rhi, um someone wants us to try this." He held it out to her suspicious.

"Athena," She glanced at the package, but grabbed the magnet and pressed it over Severus' chest until she heard a small clink. She dropped the magnet, now covered in blood and they both started mumbling spells to heal all the open wounds.

Sirius pointed his wand towards the ceiling, yelling out "Accio blood replenisher." Holding out his hand as a large vial landed in his palm. "He's lost too much blood." He poured a large dose of the thick liquid down the unconscious man's throat.

"I knew some thing was wrong, I should have gone out to find him." Rhiannon brushed her hand over Severus' hair, a look in her eyes much like the one she'd given Harry last night at the burrow.

"Where would you have started? He's going to be okay Rhi." Sirius rounded the table, wrapping his arms around her. She was shaking violently as the black quickly drained from her hair and eyes and the warmth returned to his soul.

"What happened to us Rhi?" He asked unsteadily.

She brushed at her tears. "His soul is marked. It's black, when we are called to remove the soul of a marked being we become something dark to match them. All of our warmth is removed, all color, no comfort is offered in the moments leading up to their death." She turned her gaze to Severus, "His soul will be marked until he finds forgiveness from his greatest enemy."

Sirius wondered who Severus Snape's greatest enemy could be, Harry maybe. But then again Harry didn't seem to hate Snape, just dislike him greatly. He pulled out his wand, sending his Patronus, a silvery dog, to Dumbledore explaining what had happened. With a flick of his wrist one of the hard wood chairs was transfigured into something more comfortable. He pulled his wife across his lap, draping her legs over the arm. He whispered nonsense words until she fell into a fitful, exhaustion induced sleep.

Sirius Black, the once sworn enemy of Severus Snape sat watch well into the morning, keeping one eye on his wife and the other on their patient's deep even breathing.


	22. Love Consists in this

Disclaimer- The only character I own is Rhi... but she still likes playing with the boys of HP whom all belong to JKR. I make no money off this.

A/N- okay I have no excuses I am just a lazy writers block having bum. But maybe I've gotten past the worst of it. I hope.

Chapter 22

Love consists in this...

"Gods couldn't you two have found someplace more comfortable than the kitchen table?" Severus' snarky voice woke the sleeping pair. He was actually grateful to them but it was just too good an opportunity to see them both jump and fall out of the chair they shared.

"Severus?" Rhiannon scrambled up to his side, "You're awake." she smacked a huge kiss right on his forehead.

"Eww witch, get off." He grimaced.

Sirius leaned over him next, Severus had actually seen him doze off a few minutes ago and knew he'd been up for a while. The man looked like crap with his long hair tangled and dark circles under his gray eyes.

"You bastard. You scared the hell out of us." He helped Severus to sit up, checking the bandage over the pale man's chest. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I don't recall. Last thing I remember is being strung up for another bout of whipping."

"That explains this. If I remember correctly Voldemort favors a cat o' nine tails." She dropped the small hunk of metal they'd pulled out of his chest into his pale hand.

"Yeah, he likes to tie ball bearings to the strips." He hissed. "Says it makes more of a lasting impression. How did I get here?"

"We were hoping you could tell us. You just showed up in the middle of the night and pounded on the door until we let you in." Sirius helped him off the table, and settled him in the softer arm chair he'd transfigured out of one of the dining room chairs. "You then preceded to bleed all over everything while complaining you couldn't breathe before passing out."

"We almost lost you Severus." Rhiannon dropped her gaze, hating to be seen crying. She moved to the stove, pulling out pans, busying herself with breakfast.

"I'm sorry Rhiannon, it's not like I planned on getting tortured." He stood carefully and crossed the room, raising an unsure hand and laying it on her shoulder. When she started sobbing in earnest he turned, horrified to Sirius who just shrugged.

Sirius watched his wife sob over Severus and felt jealous, but only a bit as he had no idea what to do with a sobbing wife. He shook his head and moved to take her in his arms, she was his wife after all and he knew he should do something to make her stop. She cried a puddle on his bare shoulder before turning, still hiccuping to break the eggs she waved over from the fridge, embarrassed that they'd witnessed her falling apart. With one last sniff she decided to pretend the last couple of minutes hadn't happened.

"Do you want bacon or sausage?" She asked.

"Um sausage?" Both men asked looking bewildered at each other, both wondering how women changed gears so fast.

"Well go get dressed, clean up the table. Get busy you two. The order will be here soon enough." She waved them out, ignoring her own state of undress.

"Your wife is barmy." Severus hissed as he mounted the stairs, holding his chest. Magic may speed up the healing but there was still some suffering to be done.

"Hey, she saved your life." Sirius grumbled, silently agreeing with the injured wizard, but then weren't most women a bit barmy when it came to those they loved?

Sirius froze, remembering the first time Lily had found the marauders after a full moon. She'd bandaged and healed the numerous injuries they inevitably had from frolicking with a werewolf and, once they'd been safely locked in the infirmary, she'd sobbed like some one had just died. Lily had loved the group, she'd told them often enough as she browbeat them into studying. He'd seen that same motherly love shinning in her eyes for Harry and Severus that Lily had had for them. He envied them her love, and found himself wishing she would fall in love with him. Passion they had in abundance, and friendship but could they love each other?

"Mutt, you better get moving, she's likely to hex us into next week." Severus hissed, sounding out of breath.

"Me probably, but not you." Sirius pouted. If only she would tell him who she was bound to. He shook his head, pushing the door to their room open. "Did you take all of your clothes with you when you returned to Hogwarts yesterday?"

"Unfortunately yes. Guess I'll have to make due with my bloody ones." He attempted to Scourgify the bundle of shredded cloth that had once been his frock coat and robes. They still reeked of blood and too many potions to identify.

"Those are disgusting." Sirius jerked back from the bundle of cloth, his heightened senses making the smell overpowering. He turned and yanked a black button up from his wardrobe tossing it to Severus. "Wear this."

"Thanks." Severus slid the shirt on carefully.

"Grab some pants too." Sirius waved to his wardrobe. His mind had already gone back to his wife. The tattoo on her arm looked an awful lot like a werewolf, he wondered again if she could be bound to Remus.

"She's not." Severus' voice was muffled by the wardrobe.

"She's not what?" Sirius asked.

"Not bound to Remus." He was pulling clothes out, looking at them disgustedly and shoving them back in the crammed wardrobe.

"Well if you know so much who is it then?" Sirius demanded more than a bit annoyed that everyone seemed to know but him. She was his wife damn it, he should have been told who she had been forced into giving her life to.

"I can't tell you. If it bothers you that much why don't you ask her? Or just wait a few days, at the rate that tattoo on her arm is clearing it should become apparent soon enough."

Sirius gave a growl of frustration, no one would tell him anything. He grabbed a clean t-shirt, yanking it on followed by a pair of tattered jeans.

"For the love of Nimune man, do you wear anything but jeans and leather?" Severus growled, slamming the wardrobe shut.

"In the dresser." Sirius was tugging on a pair of boots.

Severus dug out a pair of black trousers, looking infinitely more comfortable as he dressed.

"You know she loves you right?" Sirius asked turning his gray gaze on the other man.

"Who?"

"Rhiannon, she loves you like a brother."

"She can hardly stand me, it's been like that since she was in school." Severus sat down to put his own boots on.

"Ah, she likes to antagonize you." Sirius corrected. "thats what siblings do."

"Yes well, I believe she is falling for you. Why else would she put up with that wet dog smell." Severus asked sardonically.

"You're funny. Really." Sirius shook his head feeling a small flare of hope that what Severus said was true. He wondered what it would be like to have a woman truly love him, not his family name or money or his reputation.

"If you two are done making out, I need to get dressed." Rhiannon spoke from the door, a smirk that mirrored Severus at his snarkiest was gracing her beautiful lips.

"Merlin, I married a female Snape." Sirius muttered with sudden clarity.

"Hey." The other two hissed at the same time making them all grin.

"Go on guys, breakfast is on the table. Dumbledore and a few of the others will be here in thirty minutes." She shooed them out, and waited until she heard their footsteps and arguing as they went into the kitchen. When they were well away she sat on the end of the bed and cried again. It had been so long since she'd had any sort of family and in the past month she'd grown to think of Severus as a brother. She had been alright until she realized just how easy it would be to lose all the people that had come to mean anything to her. She had pictured Sirius lying on that table for a moment and felt a sickening twist in her stomach. The tattoo on her arm had burned, the lines rearranging forming a simple scripted name and an image that was now easily recognizable. She sighed, knowing he would see the thing before the night was done with and then he would know just what she had been ordered to do. She just hoped he wouldn't be too upset.

She rubbed at the tears on her cheeks annoyed at herself for crying so much it was such a feminine thing to do. She knew her eyes were puffy and her cheeks tear stained but there was no hope for it, she cast a simple glamor to take away the worst of it and turned her mind to figuring out just how to tell her husband who she was bound to.

Ten minutes later she entered the kitchen wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans to find Severus and Sirius glaring at each other. Both had their forks stuck in the last sausage, and were arguing over who had eaten more.

"It's mine mutt."

"No you greasy git, this one is mine."

Rhiannon shook her head and leaned over the table grabbing the sausage from the plate. "No, it's mine you greedy little brats." Her gaze flicked to Severus, slipping gently into his mind wanting only to make sure he wasn't in too much pain. He raised one eyebrow in question but didn't do anything more. She shrugged apologetically before turning to kiss Sirius.

Sirius turned his gaze to his wife, giving her the best wounded puppy look he could muster, "We're still hungry, love."

Rhiannon shook her head finding the begging adorable but knowing it could quickly become annoying, still she gave in this time and pulled another plate of sausages out of the oven.

"I've married a goddess." Sirius exclaimed as both he and Severus fell on the plate.

"And I've married a glutton. Severus, you have jam on your chin." She pulled her own plate of eggs out grinning at them when they looked hopefully at the plate. "Albus wants to talk to you about what happened last night." She divided her eggs between them before slathering some strawberry jam on her toast. He nodded but said nothing, his eyes saying there was something on his mind.

Albus and Minerva showed up soon after breakfast, along with Remus, Bill and Charlie Weasley, Kingsley and Tonks. They gathered around the kitchen table with Severus at the head.

"I was summoned yesterday, The Dark Lord was angry." Severus started, "Someone had broken into the potions stores I keep in the meeting place. Everything was contaminated, the vials shattered."

He closed his eyes, recalling the feeling of the small chest of potions hitting him in the middle as he rose from Voldemort's feet.

"_What's this Severus?" Voldemort hissed, his wretched familiar slithering her way around Severus's feet. _

"_The potions stores My Lord." Severus answered keeping his head lowered. _

"_Was the potions stores. Why were there no wards on this?" _

"_There were wards My Lord." just not very strong ones he thought. _

"_You could have fooled me. That bitch Guardian got in here and ruined my elixir. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on her, you have failed again Severus." He'd been striped down to his shirt and trousers, the dark lord liked to leave some clothes on when he whipped his victims. "It will hurt worse to peel the bits of fabric off when I'm done, making a lasting impression."_

"That was sometime yesterday afternoon." Severus came back from his memories and looked around the table. Minerva looked teary eyed while everyone else looked downright pissed.

"I didn't do that Severus." Rhiannon whispered her mind racing with questions.

"I know that." Severus nodded to her. "Between whippings I was able to examine the chest. There were a few potions missing."

"What potions?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Um a blood replenisher, a deflating draught, amortincia, and polyjuice potion."

"Thats an odd assortment." Sirius spoke.

"Yes, I have a feeling someone is up to something, they wanted Voldemort mad enough to go after you in a more direct manner than he is currently."

Rhiannon stared at the potions master, she wasn't in his mind just looking at his eyes, the way he stared at the wall behind her instead of at her. She could feel his apprehension and knew he had been ordered to do something he didn't like. "What is it Severus? What do you have to do?"

"Besides replace everything in the stores and actually put worth while wards on them this time." He shifted just a bit, dropping his head to hide his face behind the dark curtain of his hair. They could all hear the anger in his voice when he continued, "I was ordered to find a way to seal your powers, make you unable to fight back when the Dark Lord gets a hold of you..."

Rhiannon sighed well there could be worse things she supposed. He hadn't been ordered to kill her, that was something. The assembled order members were talking all at once, arguing and yelling about how he couldn't do that.

"Quiet. Everyone, please be quiet." Dumbledore stood, gaining everyone's attention. "Severus what were your exact orders?"

Severus sighed, remembering the exact words "The orders are to find a way to shut off the Guardian's powers. 'I don't want her able to fight back when I punish her for her silly little display of anger.'"

Rhiannon and Dumbledore looked at each other, a twinkle in the headmasters eyes alerting them all to a plan taking form.

"Those were his exact words Severus?" Rhiannon asked.

"Yes."

"He referred to me as the guardian, not as Rhiannon?"

"Yes."

Rhiannon smirked, "Is it that simple?" She asked Dumbledore.

"Often the simplest answer is the correct one." He grinned.

Remus seemed to understand first, followed by Sirius and Severus, the others just sat looking confused.

"Care to let the rest of us in?" Tonks spoke up.

Rhiannon stood up and paced the length of the table as she spoke. "It's the wording of the order that is important. Voldemort didn't say to bind my powers, he said to bind the powers of the guardian. My mother's death made me a Guardian. I was in my third year at Hogwarts, already a witch."

"And a damn powerful one at that." Dumbledore nodded.

Severus nodded, "I just have to be very careful with the wording of the spell, you're name can't be in it, it has to seal only the powers of a Guardian." He scowled already going over how this could possibly be done.

"What exactly are the powers that he'll be sealing?" Sirius grasped her hand as she paced in front of him, tugging her down to sit on his lap. He found he needed to feel her just to assure himself that Voldemort hadn't done anything yet.

"Um not much really, I wont be able to collect souls. I'll need my wand and my Legimancy skills will be slightly diminished. And I'll appairate like anyone else." She shrugged.

"You will need to carry your wand with you at all times when Severus completes his orders. I believe that we all have things we need to be working on. Tonks, Kingsley please keep an eye out for anything that may be involved with Polyjuice or any of the other potions that were stolen, it sounds like someone is up to something within the ranks that even Tom doesn't know about." Dumbledore stood indicating the meeting was over.

"Albus, Sirius and I need to talk to you." Rhiannon stood up, kissed the Weasley boys good bye and ordered Remus and Severus to return for dinner, knowing that neither of them would eat if they were left to their own devices.

When they were alone with the Headmaster they got straight to the point.

"Rhiannon and I want to move." Sirius told the older man. "We were hoping you had some suggestion for a home."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful, before examining Rhianon over his half moon glasses. "I had hoped to wait but, it seems Hogwarts is in need of another Defense against the Dark Arts Professor, would you be interested Rhianon?"

She stared open mouthed for a long moment before nodding. This was something she hadn't been expected. She'd never even thought about teaching.

"Good, then you two will have quarters set up at Hogwarts, a cabin like Hagrid's will be placed on grounds before the start of the next term." Dumbledore grinned as he stepped through the floo to inform Minerva of the good news, perhaps they'd break the curse on that position yet.

"That was surprisingly simple." Sirius grinned, wrapping his wife in a tight embrace.

"That it was." She snuggled against his chest. "What do you think they are planning?" She asked thinking about the potions Severus said had been stolen.

"I don't know, but it can't be anything good." Sirius turned for the door, tugging her behind him. "Come on, lets get some sleep before Remus and Severus get here."

Dinner that night was quiet, the small group eating in relative silence as they considered what the death eaters could be planning for Rhiannon.

"Besides my death?" She mumbled, "They want revenge for hurting their precious Draco, they want me to kill Harry, oh yes and my personal favorite, Lucius wants me as a pet." To say she was disgusted at the thought would be a gross understatement.

"You must avoid that at all costs." Severus hissed, glaring down at his plate of pheasant before shoving it away. "His last pet only made it out alive by the grace of Narcissa Malfoy." There was a strange glitter of remembrance in his eyes as he said this.

"So the plan is more than likely to capture and torture me. Oh joy." She too shoved her plate from her, knowing she wouldn't be able to choke down another bite.

Sirius and Remus stood, collecting the dishes and setting them to clean in the sink, they had both been unnaturally quiet all evening, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. She'd avoided looking into their eyes, not wanting to see what they were thinking. She had a pretty good idea as she had seen the mangled bodies of many of Lucius's playthings herself. Still she watched them as they stacked the plates and put them away, how unalike the men in her life were. Remus was all light, he was quietly self doubting and always seemed to be desperate for friendship and acceptance. Sirius was darker, his upbringing leaving a self assuredness that even his years in Azkaban hadn't been able to break but the time in prison had left him balancing a fine line between light and dark that he had only nudged as a child. Then there was Severus, as dark as his neatly pressed robes, he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and rarely complained and could with out a second thought slip a knife between anyone's ribs. White, gray and black she mused as they sat back around the table, the shades of morality.

"I worked out the spell." Severus spoke suddenly breaking her from her musings, "I don't know how well it will work."

"Lets test it." Sirius growled, if it rendered Rhiannon completely powerless he would rather know it now.

"Yeah come on Severus." Rhiannon agreed.

"Alright. Do you have your wand?" Severus pulled his from his sleeve.

"It's upstairs." She stood and dragged herself up the steps.

The three men watched her go, worry etched in their features. They all had the same thought, what would they do without her meddling in their lives?

"What if this completely stops her powers?" Sirius asked breaking the silence.

"Then I stall rewrite it until I can figure out a spell that doesn't." Severus answered already working out a spell that might work if this one failed.

"What if you can't find one, how will we protect her?" Remus spoke for the first time that evening, his amber eyes boring into a set of black ones.

"We will have to figure it out. I would give my life for hers." Severus answered honestly.

"I've loved her from the moment Athena introduced us. After a while I realized she is the little sister I never had." Remus admitted looking miserable at the thought of anything happening to Rhiannon.

"I love her." Sirius mumbled, the feelings were all too new for him to admit it as freely as Remus but he felt the need to tell them.

"So it's agreed we will lock her in the closet and barricade the door until the Dark Lord is gone if the spell doesn't work out?" Severus whispered, hearing the paintings mumbling as she came back down the stairs.

"Agreed." Both men nodded, attempting to look innocent.

"Okay boys, ready?" Rhiannon bounded back into the kitchen, carrying her wand. Sirius eyed her, She looked nervous, her face slightly flushed and breathing hitched.

"Are you okay love?" He asked wrapping her in his arms.

"I'm alright, just," She bit down on her bottom lip and shrugged, "Nervous."

"Lets get this done, if it doesn't work I still have to think of something else." Severus shifted, pulling his wand out and with a flick moved the table and chairs across the room.

The stoic potions master looked disturbed as he motioned with his wand for her to move away from Sirius.

"Whats wrong Severus? Don't trust your own calculations?" Rhiannon smirked feeling slightly better for poking a bit at Severus.

"My calculations I trust, The elders are something completely different." He smirked in response.

Rhiannon could see the logic there, they may not be too thrilled with mortals medaling with their magic.

"That's a good point." She moved a bit further from Sirius and Remus. "Do your worst."

She closed her eyes tight and braced herself.

Severus took a deep breath, glanced at the other two men and flicked his wand twice at her. The room went cold, the lights flickering wildly for a few moments. Rhiannon hissed feeling like the light was being sucked out of her, she felt like someone had poured ice down her back and was trying to shove it into her body. It wasn't the cool chill of a disillusionment charm but something more. The ice seemed to settle in her chest, right under her heart.

Sirius stared at her, his eyes wide and full of worry, she'd changed. Her skin looked colder, and her eyes were slate gray when she looked up.

"Rhi, love, are you okay?" He moved to take her hand, gasping when she gazed at him blankly.

He dropped her hand in surprise when she answered.

"I'm fine Sirius." Her voice was hollow and cold.

"How do you feel Rhiannon?" Remus moved to her side studying her carefully.

"Alright I suppose." She tilted her head as if searching herself for the answer. Sirius didn't like this, it was like something had disappeared from her, some inner light that left her looking drab.

"You don't seem alright." He ran a hand down her back.

Severus stepped up to her, holding his wand out and waving it over her. "Physically you are okay, how are your powers?"

Rhiannon held her hand out and stared at the bottle of butterbeer she'd been drinking at dinner. It didn't move. She held out her wand, flicked it at the bottle and nodded when it floated easily across the room.

"I can still do silent spells."

"Thats a plus." Severus mumbled checking her once again.

Remus was staring at her he didn't like the lack of light in her eyes. "Rhi, can you feel anything?"

"Like what?"

"What do you feel when you look at Sirius?"

She turned to look at Sirius, although she recognized him, and knew he was her husband she felt nothing. "Nothing."

"Ouch, that was low." Sirius's eyes flashed with hurt.

Remus shook his head, "Don't be hurt. What do you feel when you look at me?"

"Nothing. I don't feel anything, just cold inside." She answered.

Sirius turned to Severus, "Is that normal?"

"I don't know, I've never done this before." Severus answered honestly.

"Remove it, I don't like what it does to her."

Severus nodded his agreement and waved his wand over her, removing the spell.

Sirius sighed in relief when Rhiannon's eyes flashed with light and she seemed to warm quickly.

"Can you feel anything now?"

"Yes." She nodded enthusiastically, "That's one hell of a spell Severus. I felt like my insides were frozen, I must admit, I don't like the feeling I got." She shivered. "It was worse than when I have to take a marked soul."

Sirius moved to wrap his arms around her, he loved her, he knew it from the bottom of his toes. He rubbed his cheek across her head, nuzzling her and breathing in her scent. He wasn't sure what would happen to him if he ever lost her but he had a feeling it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Maybe we should go Severus." Remus recognized the look in Sirius's eyes.

The two men departed quickly, leaving the pair alone.

"Rhiannon," Sirius started, he had never been so tongue tied in all his life. "I love you." There he'd said it, best to take the straight forward approach. He watched her eyes darken and her lush lips turn up into a smile.

"I love you too." She flinched obviously in pain, wrapping her hand around her wrist and glared down at the covered tattoo. Sirius glared and before he could stop himself he grabbed her hand and shoved her sleeve to her elbow. He stared at the glimmering lines of her tattoo, mouth hanging slightly open in amazement.

A/N sorry for the cliffie, I will try my hardest to get the next chapter out quicker. The title of this chapter comes from a quote byRainer Maria Rilke, "Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other."


	23. Family Album, Cabin Fever and a trip

Disclaimer- I own none of this, except Rhiannon...

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A/N- okay sorry this took sooooo long, I had a horrible case of writters block!! didn't matter what I did, the muse had gone on vacation and she refused to leave her beach chair, nice view and pretty little drink with the silly little umbrella. Damn I hope she had fun.

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Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and even though I cant seem to find you thanks to Charlotte...

** Chapter 23**

** Family Album, Cabin Fever and a trip.**

Sirius stared, open mouthed at the shimmering tattoo on Rhiannon's arm. Last night as she had slept he had examined it in the low flickering light of the dying fire. He could make out the snout of a dog and a couple letters, beyond that the tattoo was a closely wound set of lines with runes sketched below.

It had changed, the dog was large, its long body stretching from the base of her thumb to just above her wrist on the top of her hand. A Celtic cross with it's many knots and twists rose above the animals' large head. 'Sirius Orion Black' was scrawled across the arms.

"It's a grim." He whispered, turning her hand this way and that, making it flicker wildly. "It's me. You're bound to me."

She didn't say a word just nodded softly. Sirius traced his fingers gently over his name. His heart was pounding so hard he knew she could hear it. The jealousy he'd felt at the idea of another man holding her heart and soul while she was married to him faded quickly, replaced by wonder and annoyance that she hadn't just told him from the beginning.

"I'm sorry." She whispered not daring to look into his eyes, too afraid that he'd be angry at her for not giving him the choice of being bound together for an eternity. She could feel his heart pounding in her own chest, just under hers, the rhythm within a half beat of her own. With her confession of love to him the bind was complete and on her part irrevocable. All the twinges and stinging over the past weeks had just been her heart slowly giving into what the elders had demanded from her. "You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to."

Sirius wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that, he stared open mouthed at the top of her head. Did she doubt that he was in love with her? Had he not, just moments ago, told her how he felt? It was killing him, seeing her so nervous and unsure of herself. Part of what he loved about her was her poise and self assurance, but at the same time some part of him wanted to throttle her for torturing him all these weeks. He scowled at the top of her head, arguing with himself over which side to give into first. Love won out.

"Rhiannon, look at me." He pleaded, "Why wont you look at me?"

She squeezed her eyes shut tears racing a track down her cheeks, how did this man have the power to make her cry when so many others had tried and failed? His warm breath, smelling sweetly of the butterbeer they'd drank with dinner, caressed her face. She breathed deep and for a moment recalled the amortincia potion Severus had made them brew her sixth year. Wet dog, not the unpleasant dirty wet dog smell but a just washed wet dog, a spicy cologne and leather had been what she smelled, it was what she smelled now, as if she needed any further proof that she loved her husband. With another deep breath she whispered, "I don't want to see you angry at me, I mean I know that we will fight and make each other mad, but I don't want to see you angry this soon."

"Why would I be angry at you?"

"Because I didn't give you the choice of being bound to me."

"The way I've heard it you weren't given much of a choice in binding yourself to me." He pushed her chin up and ran his fingers over her bottom lip. "So I can't be mad at you."

"I had a choice." She opened her eyes, catching his gaze and holding it. His eyes sparkled with love, making her heart skip and a small blush rise to her cheeks.

"Keep telling yourself that, but it is I who should be sorry. You took one look into Harry's memories and were captivated by my dashing good looks and devil may care attitude. You had no hope witch!" He declared with an arrogant smirk.

Rhiannon scoffed, Sirius' declaration making her forget her fear, "Oh I had a choice alright, I could have left your mangy arse in that veil. Just ignored your constant chatter for the rest of my life."

Sirius rolled his eyes in mock agreement, "Poor diluted woman, thinks she could have resisted me."

"I could have, I still can." She boasted. "I bet you couldn't resist me."

He looked her up and down for a moment, "You are probably right my dear wife. You are obviously the more stubborn of the two of us."

"Sirius Black, you take that back right now, I am not stubborn." She snapped.

"Yep see now who is angry."  
She growled low in her chest before laughing at his antics. "Fine I give. But you do know how permanant this is right? Even if you didn't choose to bind to me we are still bound." She paused obviously having something else to say but unsure of how to say it. Sirius watched her worry her bottom lip until he thought she'd bite through it.

"Out with it before you make your lip bleed."

"The bind to a Guardian is much different than a normal bind. If..." She paused taking a deep breath and biting down on her lip before continuing, "When I die so will you, within hours."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak but wasn't sure what to say that certainly wasn't something he'd been ready for.

"Please don't hate me. I know you are mad at me but I couldn't stand it if you hated me." her tears were falling again.

Sirius took a deep breath, and answered honestly, "I don't hate you, and can't really be mad at you for being what you are. I won't lie and say I am not annoyed, I wish you had just told me it was me you were bound to at the start of this. It would have saved a lot of jealousy on my part." He grumbled, "I do have one question though, What will happen if I die first?"

Rhiannon dropped her head, wrapped her arms around herself and moved away from him to watch the dinner dishes as they moved neatly from the counter to the shelves.

"I will live a half life for a full month, the loss of my love eating at me until there is nothing left but a shell. Then I too will die."

Sirius felt cold, she defiantly had the worse end of this deal. He moved to wrap his arms around her waist needing to feel her warmth. "Merlin thats a crappy way to go."

She turned in his arms, so she could see his eyes. "You are taking this really well."

"I'm still processing all of it I think." He shrugged, "But I love you and you are the only reason I am here now. Without you I don't know that I could go on."

He grew silent for a long time listening to her ragged breathing. Without a word he turned and dragging her with him entered the library.

"Sit down Rhi." He nodded to the sofa and waited until she settled herself into the corner. He hadn't lied, if she hadn't come into that veil and gotten him he would never have gotten out. If she had gotten him out but left right after he would have gone nuts in this house all alone with no one to talk to but his demented mother. No that was no kind of life, he would have offed himself within weeks, maybe thrown himself off the roof. Wouldn't that have been interesting to the muggles? Man throws self from invisible rooftop...

"Stop thinking that, it would have scared the crap out of everyone." Rhiannon's voice gave him a start, he hadn't realized he'd been staring at her.

"Sorry love. Just lost in a couple morose thoughts." He turned away reaching for the book he'd found the other night. Gathering it he moved back to the sofa, settling next to her. "This is something I have never shown anyone." He moved the large Gryffindor-red book to her lap. 'Family Album' was etched into the cover.

Rhiannon glanced at him a moment before flipping it open. The pages were filled with pictures of James, Remus and Sirius. There were scorch marks in some pictures that made her raise a questioning brow at him. The headless figure had to be Peter Pettigrew.

He shrugged sheepishly, "Mother had one thing right, it was cathartic." referring to the Black Family Tree and the burnt names.

Further into the book Lily made an appearance and a young girl with glossy blackish brown hair.

"Thats..." Rhiannon pointed to the girl, eyes wide with recognition, mouth opening to voice the girls identity.

"Remus's cousin." Sirius smirked.

"Yes, Remus's cousin." She agreed easily.

The last page was a picture of James, Lily and Harry in front of a Christmas tree. "They are the only family I've every really had. James and Remus and Lily, even Athena. There was a time when Peter would have been included in that." he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small envelope, after enlarging it he pulled a small stack of photos out. "Remus brought these to us." They were from their wedding, Rhiannon hadn't even noticed anyone taking them, but was happy someone had thought of it.

"Oh look at this one." She thrilled grabbing a picture of the two of them at the alter, Dumbledore had his arms raised over them, as they faced each other. On each side was Severus and Remus the former was actually grinning and the latter openly smiling as the pair in the middle kissed and flower petals rained down on them.

"See you are my life. You gave me a new family one that I can be proud of, even if it does include the bitchy Potions master." He waved a photo of a scowling Severus at her. She smiled in response still not convinced Sirius wouldn't rethink his acceptance of their bond but she decided that she would enjoy the happiness while it lasted and withstand the fall out when it came.

**Malfoy Manor**

"We will portkey her here. That way her familiar won't be summoned too." Lucius's voice was dangerously soft as he spoke to the three forms around him.

"Can I play with the itsy guardian, Master?" Bellatrix asked, her voice child-like in it's glee.

"Of course my dear, you are such a joy to watch." Voldemort hissed, running a scaly hand over her glossy hair.

"Pettigrew, you will go to the Burrow. You do remember where that is don't you?" Lucius sneered.

"Bu...but they all know me there, I...I can't go back." the traitorous Gryffindor's watery eyes shifted nervously.

"You will be disguised as The Guardian you stupid arse." Lucius snapped. "Now stop whining. You will go to the Burrow, get Potter if you can, but kill his two insipid companions. Without them he will be much easier to get rid of."

The group kept planning, oblivious to the other presence in the room. Draco Malfoy had learned a lot in the past weeks. Not being able to talk gave him time to listen and in doing so he'd realized a few things about his beloved father and his cause.

He'd begun questioning his own beliefs and wondering what would happen if the Dark side won. As a Slytherin he couldn't help but worry about where he'd end up at the end. He moved silently away from the slightly open door he'd slipped through earlier and up the hall to his room, pausing only briefly to listen to his mother sobbing in her room.

**Grimmuald place**

It took two weeks. Two weeks of not being allowed out, two weeks of little to no activity from Voldemort and his followers to drive the newly weds nuts. The Order had only met once during that time which left the pair alone for thirteen days. Cabin fever had long since set in, making both snippy and curt with each other. The smallest things set them off, fights could be waged based on the color of the sky or the sound of a bird outside the window and turn quickly into wild accusations. The passion they shared in the bedroom naturally spilled over into their disagreements, leading to hexes being thrown and dodged. Although never with the intent to permanently injure.

They were in the middle of a heated debate over whether or not the entire library would fit into their new quarters at Hogwarts, which led down a twisted path to Rhiannon only taking the job so she could be near Severus. Neither were honestly sure where this particular line of thought had come from, nor the rejoining idea that Sirius just wanted to go back to the school to stare at the Seventh year girls. The start wasn't as much of an issue now that hexes were being thrown. Showers of rainbow colored sparks were hitting the walls, bouncing off mirrors and sending the inhabitants of portraits scurrying out of the way. The bright green of the Floo being activated, the alarm when someone stepped into the room, even their names being yelled over the crash and sizzle of a fight all went unnoticed.

"You cheating bastard." Rhiannon's yell was punctuated by a bright yellow hex that turned a lamp next to Sirius' hiding place into a rubber duck.

"Lying harlot." Sirius growled back hitting a vase with a lurid red hex that made the flowers sizzle.

Rhiannon gasped in anger, flinging her hand over the couch at the same time as Sirius flicked his wand.

"MERLIN'S TWISTED BOXERS!!" Remus yelled, he had been trying to gain the pair's attention when the two hexes collided precariously close to a certain limb he'd rather not lose.

"Remus?" Rhiannon stood first, horror flashing on her face when she saw the scorch marks across the front of Remus's trousers.

"Mooney?" Sirius shoved his wand into his pocket.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODS AND GODDESSES DO YOU TWO THINK YOU ARE DOING?!" Remus bellowed, covering his scorched trousers and glaring at his friends. "You almost hexed my bits."

"Sorry 'bout that mate. We were fighting about the books." Sirius shrugged looking sorry.

Rhiannon took up the explanation, "After a while I think we were just working off some frustrations and boredom, because we started accusing each other of wanting to cheat." she realized quickly how stupid that sounded when neither of them had been out of the other's company for more than five minutes.

Remus shook his head, moving carefully around the debris that had fallen on the floor and settling on the only clear space on the sofa. He glanced around the room and started to understand just how crazy his two best friends could be. There was no doubt in his mind that they hadn't really been trying to injure each other, but neither of them had thought about accidents or anger getting the best of them.

"You two could have killed each other because you were bored, I think Albus was right." He debated trying to repair his trousers while still wearing them but thought better of it, best not to tempt the fates in that area too much.

"What was the old man right about?" Sirius asked, flicking his wand to clean up his side of the room, Rhiannon had already done her side.

"He said you two were due for some time out. You know, a little fresh air and all. He sent me to tell you to go check on Harry." His grumble was enough to tell them that he was annoyed at them.

Sirius' eyes had lit up at the mention of Harry, as had Rhiannon's. Remus rolled his eyes as he dug in his pocket, "Here Albus sent this. Said it would be safer than apparaiting, there wouldn't be a magic trail for anyone to follow." He handed Sirius the object.

Sirius looked down, he held a small motorcycle. "How are all three of us going to fit on this?"

"Three of us? No I refuse to ride that thing with you." Remus conjured a pot of tea as Rhiannon sat a plate of leftovers from dinner that she'd accioed from the cooler in front of him . "I get to take a much needed break. Damn wolf band, running all over Scotland for no reason." He toed off his shoes ignoring the couple grinning at him. He continued grumbling as he pulled out a book and flicked his wand at the record player filling the library with music.

"Come on Sirius, before Albus changes his mind." Rhiannon grabbed his hand tugging him through the house to the back garden, their previous fight forgotten in the excitement of getting out and visiting Harry. "What did Remus give you?"

Sirius grinned at her then flicked his wand at the motorcycle he'd set in the grass. "My bike. I gave it to Hagrid the night James and Lily died so that he could take Harry to safety. After I got out of Azkaban it seemed a bit impractical for hiding out."

Rhiannon looked at the motorcycle, her eyes sparkling. "Would it be rude of me to say I only want you for your bike?" She reached out, running her hand over the seat, caressing the leather much as she would her husbands chest. She ran her fingers over the chrome of the handlebars sighing in bliss.

"Hey, I'm starting to get jealous." Sirius growled, he'd seen the same look of ecstasy in his wife's eyes just before they'd christened the kitchen table yesterday.

"Oh I would be very jealous. I didn't know you actually had a bike, I wouldn't have fought marrying you as much if I had known." She flashed an evil grin.

"You little tart." Sirius swung one leg over the bike, straddling the seat. Rhiannon stepped back, wanting to burn the image into her memory. Sirius's dark hair was tied back with a black ribbon, strands coming loose to fall around his shadowed face. He hadn't shaved this morning, knowing she liked the feel of his stubble when he nuzzled her neck. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and a black dragon hide vest, over a pair of tattered jeans and beat up boots. She had to look away to keep from drooling all over him, or knocking him over and taking him on the cool grass.

"Are you going to get on or am I going without you?" He tugged her closer to him wishing she could have gotten on first. That image would have been a fantasy come true. His gorgeous wife, her honeyed hair loose around her shoulders, astride his bike. She wore a pair of black leather pants and a black tank top, leaving a great deal of creamy skin for him to look at.

"Oh no, I'm going." She got on the bike behind Sirius, wrapping her arms tight around his waist.

The machine roared to life under them, sounding like an overly excited jungle cat. "How are we going to get out of the back yard?" She yelled.

"That is the beauty of this bike." Sirius revved the engine before they started rolling, the wall marking the edge of the property getting closer. Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut, convinced they were going to be spattered all over the stones.

"You can open your eyes love." Sirius called over the noise. It had been too long since he'd ridden last.

He found he had missed the freedom of roaring over clouds, seeing the patchwork of suburban London below him. Flying on Buckbeak didn't come any where near as freeing as riding his old motorcycle, not with the constant need to make sure the animal didn't decide that some creature would make a tasty treat and nose dive for the ground.

"It's beautiful up here." Rhiannon called, struggling to be heard over the wind.

"I always felt the most at peace when riding." He admitted, enjoying the warmth of the evening sun as it dipped low over the London skyline.

The ride went far to fast for either of them as they sat down in a small alley just outside of Little Whinging. The ride to Privet Drive was completed in horrified silence as the pair passed what seemed like the same house over and over. Rhiannon thought back to the neighborhood she'd lived in in the States, there had been a constant thrum of activity. Children playing in the streets, women putting clothes out on lines to dry while men worked on cars or mowed lawns. The neighborhood had flowed seamlessly into small shops and restaurants so foot traffic was a constant. There was always something going on. But here the only person they'd seen outside was an elderly woman not far from the Dursley's house that was surrounded by cats. They both nodded a greeting to Ms. Figg.

"Promise me that we will never live in a place like this." Rhiannon demanded as they paused at a cross roads

"Not a chance." Sirius answered, "Where are all the children?"

They slowed to a stop outside the Dursleys' house, it was just the same as all the others with the exception of the invisible pulse of magic that surrounded it. The street was eerily quiet when Sirius killed the engine. There was a short walk between the driveway and the door lined with small flowers and a small placard that read Dursley next to the mail slot. The sound of Sirius knocking seemed to echo in the silence.

"HARRY, GET THE DOOR!" The man's angry voice boomed even through the thick wood of the door, making them start a second before it swung open reveling the teen.

"Sirius! Rhiannon!" Harry flung himself at them, wrapping both in a fierce bear hug.

After a moment Rhiannon struggled out of his grasp wanting to get a closer look at him.

Harry looked thinner, after only a month he seemed to have lost a lot of weight, his glasses were held together with tape and the ghost of a bruise under his eye could still be seen. He was holding his right arm close to his chest in an unconscious effort to protect it.

She was about to ask what happened when Vernon Dursley all but rolled into the hallway.

"Who you talkin' to for so long Boy?"

Rhiannon's first impression was of a walrus choking on a beach ball. The man had no neck, his large head rounding neatly into equally round shoulders and a large stomach that threatened to burst out of the crisp white dress shirt. She felt a burst of pity for the tiny row of buttons straining to hold the material together.

"Who are you? We aren't buying anything, we already have a church and we don't help those who can't help themselves. So just be on your way."

Sirius studied the man, his hand itched to pull his wand but he held himself in check, it wouldn't do to get sent back to Azkaban for hexing a muggle. This was the man that had treated Harry with such cruelty from the day he had arrived on their doorstep. He felt a twin rush of hatred from his wife, it washed over him and he was suddenly happy she was on their side of this war. He was hard pressed not to hex the man just to make Rhiannon happy, pleasing his wife could be a good reason to go back to Azkaban.

"We are not selling anything Dursley," Rhiannon snapped as she stepped into the house, gone was the softer woman that had cried in the kitchen when thinking of her family injured, here was the woman that stared down Lucius and laughed at Bellatrix and Voldemort "we are here to see Harry."

Vernon Dursley's eyes widened, flicking back and forth between the pair. There was something familiar about the man, something about the cold half smile that tugged at his lips and the crystalline gray of his eyes, he just couldn't place it at the moment. Although the man was intimidating, the woman made him shiver. She still wore her sunglasses, though the sun was almost down now and the entry way was shadowed. Vernon didn't like being unable to see her eyes, although he had the feeling they would be just as cold as the man's and wasn't truly sure he wanted to see them. With a foolish burst of courage he snapped at Harry, he was the reason they had these weirdos in and out of the house so much lately.

"We don't want your kind here, boy. I thought we made it clear when those friends of yours left."

"And just how did you make that clear?" Rhiannon stepped forward, advancing on the fat man.

"That is none of your business, the boy is worthless. Just like his parents, I wouldn't waste my time on him if I were you." Vernon shuffled back quickly as Sirius pressed his wand under the many rolls that served as his chin.

"Repeat what you just said, I don't think I heard you right." Sirius snarled. "Because I know you did not just call my godson worthless."

Vernon's eyes bulged comically as recognition dawned, "You're the murderer they've been looking for."

"That I am. Now you are going to answer my wife before I add one more murder to the long list they have attributed to me."

"Wife?! You people will marry anything." Vernon eyed Rhiannon again, even with Sirius's wand pressed against his throat she was still the scarier of the two. She was looking around the hall at the many pictures of Dudley, a sneer of disgust marring her features.

Harry stood to the side, holding his arm and staring at Sirius, not saying anything, but when Rhiannon was brought up he shifted putting himself between her and his uncle, the roll of guard firmly etched into his mind.

"You will not insult my wife." Sirius pressed his wand a bit deeper, "Now tell us how you made it clear to my Godson that his family is not welcome here."

Before Vernon could answer a shuffle of feet from the hallway made Sirius shift to put his back to a wall.

"Vernie dear, dinner is ready." Petunia Dursley was a skinny as her husband was fat, her neck was long enough for two, giving Rhiannon the amusing thought that she had somehow stolen her husbands neck.

"Oh you didn't tell me we had company." She harped, seemingly oblivious to her husbands red face and worried expression.

Rhiannon smirked, letting herself slide into the other woman's mind. Mundane activities filled Petunia's day, nauseatingly normal things except for one memory. She pushed at the worry she found and was rewarded with a memory of Dudley with a needle. Pulling back Rhiannon smirked. "_Ask us to stay for dinner" _she whispered into Petunia's mind.

"Would you care for some dinner?" Petunia's eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, confused as to where the offer came from.

"NO!" Vernon snapped as Rhiannon accepted.

"That would be lovely." She put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder, and moved around the boy to follow Petunia through the house. Curiosity got the better of her, she wanted to see how Harry was treated when no one was around.

"Um, Vernon didn't say who you two are." Petunia moved to set two more places at the table.

"Oh Vernie, did you FORGET US?" She asked, slipping into his mind. _Tell her we are colleagues or I will personally see to it that everyone knows about Dudley's drug habit."_ It paid being able to wander around people's minds.

"They are my colleagues dear, don't you remember me telling you they were coming to dinner tonight?" Vernon rushed looking more than a bit sick.

Petunia merely grinned, not wanting to give anyone a reason to gossip about her family or say they were inhospitable hosts. "Oh yes dear, it must have slipped my mind."

Sirius wanted to laugh, he had to ask Rhiannon what she had said to Vernon to get him to agree to this.

The fat man looked positively ill at the idea of sharing his meal with them. As if she had heard him Rhiannon turned to face him, "_Seems Dudley has a drug problem. Nothing like a threat to get someone to go agree with you."_

Sirius chuckled then, he couldn't help it, his wife could be down right mean if she wanted.

"Um Ms... I'm sorry I can't seem to remember your name." Petunia fluttered about the room, adjusting the silverware and napkins.

"Black. Rhiannon Black and this is my husband Sirius." She held out her hand to the woman, who paused at the names but merely shrugged when she couldn't immediately place it.

"Mrs. Dursley, it's a...pleasure, I'm sure." Sirius took her hand, and bowed easily over it

"Vernon tells us you have two sons." Sirius smirked wondering how Petunia would answer, he could get into this game quiet easily. Push the Dursleys, see when they break.

"You must be thinking of someone else. We just have out dear little Dudley. He should be home in a few moments." Her eyes shifted with her lie, "He's in a club at school."

"Oh, who was that charming young man that answered the door?" Rhiannon asked innocently, flicking her hand imperceptibly at Vernon and casting a silencio charm to keep him from supplying an answer.

"He's just a boy we hire to help around the house." Petunia sneered then leaned in conspiratorially to whisper, "Not right in the head you know, we let him help out to keep him out of trouble. Parents died when he was quite young left him destitute."

Sirius almost hexed the bitch then and there but Rhiannon twitched, telling him without words to wait.

"Poor dear. I would love to speak with him... will he be joining us?" She asked innocently.

"Um... of course." Petunia looked as if she was going to be sick.

Sirius smirked, and wondered where this was going to go.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer, I own none of this, it all belongs to the lovely J.K. Rowlings. I promise to put everything back where I found it.

a/n -I'm sorry this update has been so long in the making. RL has a nasty habit of jumping up and biting you when you least expect it. As always thank you to Charlotte-Stevens lots of love and cheese eggplant lasagna!!!!

Chapter 24

Dinner with the Dursleys

Dinner was anything but appetizing, everything was overcooked and under spiced. Sirius wondered idly if Rhiannon's cooking was spoiling him, then decided he didn't care. He tried to block out the insipid sound of Petunia Dursley's voice by counting the beats of Rhiannon's heart under his. Unfortunately Petunia had been gifted with one of those voices that dug into your brain like a drill through a board, making it impossible to ignore. A few moments ago he had noticed an increase in Rhiannon's heartbeat, he concentrated on the tightening in his chest instead of the beats. The twist of his heart, the boiling heat that coursed through his blood and realized Rhiannon was mad. He listened for a moment to what Petunia was saying and felt a twin rush of anger bolstered by hers. Rhiannon was gripping her glass of water so hard her hands were molted, the water inside was boiling softly as she focused her desire to hex someone into the glass.

"You know, Vernon's sister has a theory. She says it has nothing to do with the father and everything to do with the mother. So just because his father was a lousy drunk it was his mother that made him so... abnormal." Petunia looked pleased with her sister in law's theory, pressing her thin, dry, lips together like the cat that ate the canary.

"Abnormal?" Rhiannon's voice shook with the anger that she was struggling to keep reigned in. It didn't help that she could feel Sirius' fury, like a large slippery snake coiling in her chest, pushing her to do something about the filth spewing from the womans perpetually pursed mouth, or Harry's pain at being rejected by his mother's family that made her want to wrap him in her arms and block out everything his 'aunt' was saying. Her hand was wrapped tightly around her water glass as she tried to hide the boiling liquid within.

"Oh yes, the boy is just strange. Has a pet owl, reads books about magic and runs around pointing a stick at things." She dropped her voice to a stage whisper, "Thinks its a wand and he can do magic. He attends this boarding school up north during the school year so things are pretty normal around here then. But when he's home... he brings the strangest people into the neighborhood. The pair he usually runs with, a red head and that girl, hmm something going on between the three of them if you ask me. One girl hanging out with two boys... it's just immoral. Then there was that blonde one that came around a month ago, looked high as a kite she did."

Sirius growled low in his chest, an unearthly sound that had Petunia jumping and looking towards the open patio door. Vernon was pale and from the way his lips were moving he seemed to be reciting prayers while shaking his head at his wife.

"He doesn't seem abnormal to me." Rhiannon felt the glass in her hand start to shake.

"Well even a rabid dog is capable of behaving sometimes."

That was it, the glass shattered, sending a spray of shards and water across the table. Petunia's eyes widened then flew to Harry, an accusation dieing on her lips when Rhiannon spoke quietly.

"Harry, I want you to go upstairs, pack everything that you want to take with you. Release Hedwig, tell her to go to the Burrow."

Harry scrambled to get up, he'd barely touched his dinner, his face was pale and his eyes were glossy with pain. Rhiannon wondered how long his arm had been broken.

Sirius waited until Harry was upstairs, then turned to his wife, "Is your hand okay?"

"Some shards of glass, thats all." She held out her hand showing a mess of small cuts and a pool of blood in her palm. Sirius pulled out his wand silently asking permission to heal her hand.

Petunia gasped, her eyes growing wide as he flicked his wand over Rhiannon's hand and the shards of glass pushed themselves out and the small cuts healed instantly. The blood was cleared with a Scourgify as was the glass and water from the table.

"Who are you people?" She demanded looking between the pair, a spark of recognition flashing in her eyes now as she really looked at Sirius.

Rhiannon smirked as she stood up, her hair falling to cover her face as she shoved her glasses up. "I find it interesting that you would comment on one of Harry's friends being on drugs. How's Dudley?"

Petunia blanched, she had purposely avoided talking too much about her son hoping they wouldn't think of him.

"Who broke Harry's arm?" Sirius spoke quietly, his glittering silver eyes following the tip of his wand as he twirled it between his fingers.

"I...I...He fell down the stairs." She stammered turning her eyes to Vernon noticing for the first time that he wasn't saying anything. "Vernon what is wrong?"

"Vernon can't talk right now." Rhiannon moved around the table, yanking Petunia's chair back and bracing her hands on the arms, pinning the woman in. "But I can, and I have A LOT to say. That boy," She motioned to the stairs where Harry had disappeared, "his name is Harry James Potter. His father was James Potter, an excellent Auror or what you would call an Officer. He dedicated his life to protecting our people. Although he acted like an ass often, he was a decent man that drank very little. Harry's mother was Lily Potter... your sister, she was a well respected member of our society. She worked for the government, and loved her family. They both gave their lives to protect their son and our world. If what you say about mothers is true then it applies to you as well, how well have you done with your son? Harry was just as much your son as Dudley, at least thats what we hoped you would treat him as when he was placed here. You were supposed to love him, to care for him as the innocent child that he was. Instead you hurt him. You lied to him and made him grow up way too fast." She paused her chest heaving with anger and glanced at Sirius who smirked and waved her on.

"There is nothing immoral about the family that Harry has found, that he has pulled together. Brothers and Sisters of the heart that stay with Harry not because they _have_ to but because they _want_ to. They gave him the unconditional love that you, his flesh and blood, denied him. Harry has a family now. People who love him and care for him. He has a home and people that will take care of him." She shoved away from Petunia, but remained close enough that the other woman stayed in her chair. "He will be treated like a son instead of a burden."

Petunia hung her head, she didn't like being shamed, especially by someone she didn't know. "That boy didn't deserve to be here. We are a good, normal family and he's nothing but a freak!"

"A FREAK? I'LL SHOW YOU A FREAK." Rhiannon threw out her hand, palm facing Petunia. Sirius could feel the hex building, magic making the air crackle and lights flash wildly. He moved forward, suddenly worried about what she was going to do. Her palm was starting to glow when a sound drew her attention to the door.

Dudley Dursley stood, framed in the flickering light cast across the back porch. He was tall and solid, with dark wavy hair and a piggish look to his face. Dark bloodshot eyes stared blankly at Rhiannon, at once seeing and looking through the room. Rhiannon couldn't help slipping into those eyes, into the mind beyond it. Images from a lifetime of being taught to hate flashed before her, pain at having to act so selfish and mean to a boy who logic told him was his brother. There were various memories of birthday parties and Christmases, first days of school and holidays. Nothing too recent except one memory. It was fuzzy, like looking through a steamed up mirror. Harry's worried face gazing down at Dudley as he shook on the floor. The house around them was dark, Harry grabbed the larger boy and dragged him up the stairs to a bathroom, and into the shower. The pair stood under the icy water, fully clothed until Dudley stopped shaking and Harry dragged him out and down the hall.

The room came back into focus for Rhiannon, only a second had passed leaving everyone but Sirius ignorant to her pause. She released her breath on a hiss and flung her hand at the kitchen. No child should see their parents being tortured, no matter how vile and loathsome they were.

The spell was a deep red tinged with black that Sirius only vaguely recognized. It was something he'd read of in a book but never actually seen performed. The sounds coming from the kitchen were horrible. Metal rending and glass shattering, even the wooden cabinets groaned and popped. Rhiannon dropped her hand and glared at Petunia. She didn't say anything before moving away from the woman.

"I need to go... away..." She moved to Sirius, "Take Harry home. I'll meet you there."

"Love, I don't think it's safe for you to be wandering around alone."

Rhiannon gazed at him a moment, anger still simmering in her eyes, under a layer of tears and something he'd never seen there before, fear.

"I'll be fine. Please." She waited until he nodded before disappearing.

"Where did she go?" Petunia whined, staring at the spot where Rhiannon had been standing.

"Shut up." Sirius rolled his eyes and left the room, he couldn't take another moment of the pair and Harry could probably use some help..

Rhiannon went to the only place she could think of. The lights were bright, glinting off the stainless steel tables and appliances, the smell of baking bread hung in the air making the large room seem warmer than it should have.

"You should call before you pop in. What if Carlos and I had been busy?" A woman's soft voice greeted Rhiannon's silent entry.

"Ha, you seal the kitchen when you are 'busy'. I would have sensed it and went out front to wait."

"What brings you out this way Rhi?" The woman hadn't turned around, or paused in her task.

Rhiannon busied herself for a moment, scrubbing her hands and arms with hot soapy water. When she finished she moved across the room, taking a large ball of dough from a bowl on a large table.

As she kneaded the dough she looked up into the other woman's eyes, eyes that were slightly darker than hers, rimmed in a black that could rival Severus's. The woman before her could answer her questions if anyone could, so Rhiannon asked without pause, "Can a Guardian kill someone?"

Sirius shrunk all of Harry's belongings, shoved them in a book bag and dragged the teen out to his motorcycle.

"Where did Rhiannon go?" Harry asked as they rolled out of the driveway.

"She had an errand to run before she could go home." Sirius answered, he didn't want to admit he had no idea where she'd gone or when she'd be back. Didn't want to admit that that scared him more than the mess she left of the kitchen.

"She was so mad she blew up the kitchen." It was a statement not a question but Sirius felt compelled to try an explain her thinking.

"She's grown rather attached to our little family. You are the center of it. When someone is hurting our family they have to understand it wont be allowed."

"It's nice to know I'm loved so much."

Sirius stopped, they were sitting across the street blocking traffic. "We all love you Harry, never forget that. Things are going to get rough, and everyone will be under a lot of pressure. So will you. If we don't tell you, just know that we love you."

"I know Sirius, and I love you guys too." Harry's emerald eyes sparkled with emotion.

Sirius nodded and stood to start the bike.

"Good, now hold on."

The ride back to Grimmuald place was quiet. Sirius made sure Harry had everything he would need and all of his things were put into a room before flooing Madam Pomfrey and asking her to heal Harry.

Remus had no idea where Rhiannon had gone, but promised to stay over and keep an eye on Harry and to find Sirius if anything happened. Sirius then apparaited to The Burrow, hoping maybe she'd gone to get the other kids, when she wasn't there he decided to try Hogwarts.

He pictured the apparation point just outside of the gates and hoped Dumbledore was at the school, if anyone could give him an idea of where his wife had disappeared to it would be the headmaster.

What Sirius apparaited into was not the clearing just beyond Hogwarts gates, it wasn't even the fields that led up to the main doors. Sirius looked around surprised as he appeared silently in Dumbledore's office. The elderly wizard looked up from a large leather bound book in surprise.

"Mister Black, so good of you to visit. Where is your lovely wife?"

Sirius opened his mouth, unsure of how he intended to answer but asked instead, "How did you know I was headed here?"

"What ever do you mean dear boy? I didn't know you were planning on visiting, I believed you'd still be with Harry."

"Harry is at Headquarters. How did you know to drop the wards?"

"I didn't drop the wards, I assumed you came in with Rhiannon, she is the only one that can appairate in and out of Hogwarts when the wards are up." Dumbledore raised his hands, checking the wards around the school. They were all in place.

"Rhiannon lost her temper at the Dursleys' house. She turned their kitchen inside out, literally, then disappeared. I looked at Headquarters but she's not there, I checked The Burrow and nothing. I thought maybe she would be here or that you might know where she went." He looked hopeful, Dumbledore always had some kind of an answer.

"I have no idea where she went." Dumbledore sounded apologetic. "Have you picked up any of Mrs. Black's other powers? Besides the apparaiting into a warded area?"

"I can feel the calls, see what she sees when she uses Legimancy, and I can feel her heart and emotions."

Dumbledore seemed surprised, "Well that was quick. Her parents, as I understood, didn't do any of that for years and even then her father could only pick up on the major things."

Sirius shrugged, he didn't have time for Dumbledore's musings unless they applied to where he could find his wife. Dumbledore seemed to realize this and pushed his thoughts to the side, saving them for later.

"I would suggest you think of your lovely wife and find her that way. If your thoughts of me brought you straight here then maybe they will work for her too." Dumbledore suggested.

Sirius shrugged, it was worth a try. He closed his eyes and thought of Rhiannon. Not just her face but the way her skin felt, the scent of her lotion and soap as it mingled with the earthy scent of her body, the sound of her voice and the way her eyes flickered with the light. He felt the twist and pull of the air around him and knew somehow he would open his eyes and she would be there. He could feel the difference in the room, smell her sweet scent in the air.

The lights were different around him, cold and too bright to be anywhere outside, too steady to be fire or torch light. The smell of baking bread and echo of voices was almost overwhelming when compared to the relative silence of Dumbledore's office.

"Sirius, love, what are you doing here?"

He looked across the tidy room filled with stainless steal appliances and florescent lights to find Rhiannon staring at him, covered in flour and smirking at his confusion. The worry he'd felt when she hadn't been anywhere he'd looked twisted into annoyance. His eyes shone silver in anger, making her cringe.

"I was looking for you. We were worried, you shouldn't have disappeared like that Rhi."

"Told you the boy would be worried." Another voice filled the room, it was the tinkling of bells,or the soft keys of a piano, or birds singing, he wasn't sure what it was, but it came from a woman that stood to the side of Rhiannon, her back to him.

"I knew I couldn't stay long." Rhiannon defended her eyes narrowing at the other woman. Sirius moved across the room, the woman was of average height, and although she was dressed in a baggy t-shirt and black cargo pants he could tell she was curvy and feminine. Her ebony hair was held out of her face with a handkerchief folded in half and tied at the back of her neck. The soft ends just brushed her jaw. When she finally turned to look at him he paused, her eyes had the same opaque quality as Rhiannon's but held a rim of deep black around the very edges of her iris.

"Hello Sirius." Her full red lips broke into a sunny smile.

"Sirius, this is Isibel." Rhiannon waved one flour caked hand at her friend.

Sirius bowed slightly, making the woman giggle. There was something about her that made him just a bit weary.

"How did you find me?" Rhiannon asked moving the lump of dough to a pan.

"I thought of you and here I was." He shrugged, moving closer to her side.

"He's learning quickly." Izzy rolled her dough carefully, making perfectly shaped rolls.

"Thats why I came here Izzy. Are you going to answer my question or not?" Rhiannon growled, pounding her fist into the ball of dough, her frustration evident.

"You know the rules. Go wash up and I'll think about it." Izzy moved the pans from the tables to one of the appliances.

"Where's Harry?" Rhiannon asked, drying her hands.

"He's at Grimmuald place. Poppy is healing him and Remus is making sure nothing happens." Sirius studied his wife, he'd never seen her so twisted up. He could feel her rioting emotions in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry I left without telling you where I was going. I was so mad, I almost ki..." She leaned her head against Sirius's chest, breathing in the spicy scent of him. "Izzy and her husband know more about our culture than anyone in the world. They are the only ones that could help."

"Help with what Rhi?" his voice made her heart skip and her stomach twist with shame at having run out on him and Harry.

"With..."

Izzy interrupted them, telling the pair to follow her as she went out a door into the bright sunlight.

"Where are we?" Sirius asked shielding his eyes and adjusting his collar in the oppressive heat.

"Houston, Texas." Rhiannon smirked, her glasses shielding her eyes from the bright sun.

"You lived in this?" Sirius panted, "It's bloody hot!" He'd only just walked out but could already feel sweat pooling in his waist band.

"You get used to it, or you move away." Izzy led them up a flight of metal stairs and into a cool apartment above the restaurant. "Have a seat, I'll get us some drinks." She disappeared down a hallway.

"Why did you come here?" Sirius settled onto the large black sofa.

Rhiannon sighed, then paced to the large window overlooking a park. "Izzy and her husband Carlos, they are Guardians. They know more about us than anyone I've ever met."

"Why didn't you get help from them earlier."

"Izzy's help comes with a price, it's usually a steep one and I didn't know that we were willing or able to pay it."

"What changed?"

Rhiannon dropped her head, shame flashing in her eyes she opened her mouth to answer but Izzy beat her to it.

"She almost killed someone today, and it scared her just how easily it would have been to give up everything she has based her life on, everything she believes in and just kill those two nasty little muggles."

Rhiannon's eyes snapped up, anger flashing in their colorless depths, "If you knew what was going to happen, why would you let me? Why didn't you just tell me this?"

Izzy sat the bottles she carried down, "Sit down child."

"I'm not a child." But Rhiannon dropped down next to Sirius anyway. He wrapped his arms around her, wanting to comfort her.

"Compared to me Dumbledore is a child."

Sirius looked up at that, Izzy didn't look a day over twenty. "I'm nearing 980." she smirked.

"Yea Right." He half laughed, there was something about the woman that reminded him of Bellatrix and that made him uncomfortable.

"She is." Rhiannon looked at him showing that she was serious.

"980? Thats... How?"

"We, my husband Carlos and I are not just any Guardians." Izzy picked at a loose stitch on her chair. "What do you think happens to a guardian when they die?"

Sirius tightened his hold on Rhiannon's shoulders, he didn't want to think about a world with out her. Then again, he would never know what it was like again.

"We take them to the next life." Izzy grinned wildly. "We will take the two of you when your time comes. Would you like to know when that will be? How?"

"Thats enough." Rhiannon snapped, she could feel Sirius twisting himself into knots at Izzy's words. "Are you going to help us or not?"

"Of course I am. But we want something in return." Sirius caught the 'we' and assumed the absent Carlos was included.

"What? What do you want." Rhiannon was weary.

Izzy smiled a smile that put Bellatrix to shame and leaned towards them. "We want the halfbreed."

Rhiannon paused, she truly didn't know who or what Izzy was talking about. "You want what?"

"The halfbreed, the Guardian that isn't a Guardian."

Sirius understood first, it explained how Lucius knew where Rhiannon was, how Bellatrix could find her. "Bellatrix? Is that who you want."

"Bellatrix," she rolled the name around, seeming to delight in the sound of it, "Yes, we want the abomination, she who should not be."

"Why do you want her?" Rhiannon asked, eying Izzy.

"Because she is an abomination. She is unworthy of the gifts she stole."

"She's completely insane." Sirius pointed out, "Like break out the foil hats, the walls are spying on her, she hears voices telling her Voldemort's snake is god. Crazy."

"Yes, but she's also a danger to Guardians everywhere. She can sense us, even when we are cloaked. She could mean the end of our way of life."

"But how?" Rhiannon questioned. "How can she sense us? How do you know about it?"

"I am your Guardian, how do you think I know about her? When she stabbed you, you almost died. Granted you were already bound to Sirius but it was new. You hadn't even met him. So as you started to die, your powers started to transfer to her as she was connected to the knife. When you didn't die your powers returned to you completely but left an echo in her. It's a rare occurrence but it has happened before."

"Can you stop it?" Rhiannon asked.

"Eventually, yes. I can stop her, if you let me."

Rhiannon sat back thinking, she had sworn to protect every soul under her care. That included the crazy homicidal ones, as little as she liked that part of her duty. But she also had a responsibility to the other Guardians. They couldn't do their jobs if they were in constant danger. She turned her gaze to Sirius, found him watching her intently and felt an echo of his thoughts in her heart. He nodded, offering his opinion.

"Alright. You can have her." She finally agreed. Izzy held out her hand and waited for Rhiannon to take it. As soon as their palms touched something like an electrical current ran through her body. Rhiannon jerked once then relaxed, she felt lighter, as if something dark and heavy had been removed from her chest.

"Now on to your question. Yes, a Guardian can kill. We can be rather creative in our vengeance. The blood lust within us is almost over-whelming once let loose, so you lose something of yourself when you end a life." Sirius saw something cloud her eyes, it was red and violent, making him want to pull Rhiannon away from the other woman before it could touch her. But it was gone as quick as it appeared.

"You've killed." It was a statement not a question, Sirius knew the answer just as he knew Rhiannon was eager to hear the details.

"Often, I was very good at it."

"What happened?" Rhiannon's voice was soft.

"Carlos, my husband, and I went on a bit of a killing spree. We had the power to judge people, to play at being gods, and we took it. A river of blood flowed where ever we went, only the most innocent were spared. We enjoyed the killing, enjoyed the way men and women alike begged, no matter their station in life, or their country of birth. They all begged for mercy and made promises."

Rhiannon remembered the look in Petunia Dudley's eyes, the way a prayer had been on her lips as the hex built. There had been a moment of enjoyment with the rush of power. That is what had scared her. Her duties as a Guardian were her life, they were her legacy and had meant everything to her after her parents died.

"How," she paused, "how did you stop?" She gripped Sirius' hand as her gaze locked with Izzy's.

"They came to us, The Elders. Scared the hell out of us. They passed judgment and gave us ten thousand years as punishment, we will be here for that time before growing any older." Izzy shrugged as though it didn't mean much but her eyes clouded.

"There is going to be a war. I can not stand by and let my family fight, kill, maybe die and not fight, kill and maybe die along side them." Rhiannon felt Sirius tense next to her, his fear clenching her heart like a vice. "But I don't want to enjoy killing. I don't want to lose myself, or what I've become. What we have become. "

Izzy turned her gaze on Sirius, he felt her sifting through his mind but was powerless to stop her. Harry, Remus, Snape all flashed before his eyes. The sound of laughter and feeling of contentment he felt when they had dinner together settled over him. Behind him a door opened, heat poured into the small room and everything rushed back.

"You wont lose yourselves." Izzy smiled sadly, she reached up and grabbed the hand that was reaching for her without breaking eye contact with Sirius. "You have something we didn't. You have a family to hold you here when it comes time. And that will make all the difference."

Sirius glance up at the man. He was stood tall and dark, looking like a very tan version of Snape. "The war?" His voice was deep, thick with a Spanish accent.

"Yes."

"We will be joining them, yes?"

"Yes."

Carlos nodded, his black hair was cut short, a stubble covered his lower face. When he turned the light glinted off lettering on the back of his shirt. Police was stenciled across his back, it was then that Sirius noticed a holster and handcuffs hanging from the man's belt.

"Atonement must be made for what we did. We've been police officers, doctors, firefighters, anything that we think will save or enrich lives. Nine hundred years is a long time." Izzy shrugged. "Keep that in mind if you should ever run across Peter."


End file.
